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eyeWitness to Atrocities:
Bringing the Perpetrators of Atrocity Crimes to Justice

 

eyeWitness to Atrocities seeks to bring the perpetrators of atrocities to justice by providing a tool for human rights defenders, journalists, and other courageous citizens to capture verifiable footage related to international atrocity crimes. The eyeWitness app is an easy-to-use camera app that captures the metadata needed to ensure the images can be used in investigations or trials and safely stores the information. The eyeWitness expert team then becomes an ongoing advocate for the footage, analysing the information and working with the appropriate legal authorities to promote accountability for those who commit the worst international crimes.

The idea for the project arose when Mark Ellis, Executive Director of the International Bar Association (IBA), was asked to examine footage seemingly showing Sri Lankan troops executing Tamil Prisoners. The authenticity of the video could not be verified. ‘Watching that film was a catalyst for the idea that an app could be created to act as a tool of verification and allow the video to be admissible in a court of law,’ he says. So began a four-year effort to create such technology. The result is eyeWitness to Atrocities, a mobile app with the unique capability to authenticate and securely store footage of gross human rights abuses, while maintaining the anonymity of the user.

PeaceTech Commentary

PeaceTech Lab staff provide analysis on an important trend in the news.
Social media is emboldening young Zimbabweans to finally stand up to Mugabe
Ciara McCorley I Quartz Africa I August 29, 2016

Protests coordinated on social media have emerged in recent weeks throughout the country addressing issues from socio-economic governance, to the introduction of bond notes, corruption, and frustration by graduates at a lack of employment opportunities.

This article focuses on the use of social media as a means of advancing democracy and empowerment.

It is commonplace in many developing countries to witness riot police challenging street protests against government with teargas and water cannons, so common that citizens in these countries are changing tactics in their endeavor to make their voices heard. Social media is empowering citizens with alternative means for organizing, raising their voices, and holding government accountable in different countries. With hashtags like #ThisFlag, on Facebook in Zimbabwe, the famous #Libya or #Egypt that sparked the Arab Spring in 2011, a coin for Prita in Indonesia, and #Oromoprotests in Ethiopia, it is evident that mobilization and co-ordination in activism today is taking a different form. As mentioned in the article, the fluidity and dynamic nature of social media mobilization makes it difficult for the state to track. Perhaps, this is why more activists are turning to this direction. 

It is, however, prudent to analyze social media to get a better understanding of how social movements unfold. In its work, PeaceTech Lab is aware of the potential for social media platforms to mobilize and empower users. This analysis provides insights on how communities can build social movements for peacebuilding. 

Commentary by Caleb Gichuhi | Specialist, PeaceTech Lab Africa | PeaceTech Lab

PeaceTech News Roundup

This week's compilation of the most important news stories highlighting the role of technology, media, and data in conflict zones. 
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket just exploded at Cape Canaveral, destroying Facebook’s Internet.org satellite
Matt Burns I TechCrunch I 
September 1, 2016

According to numerous eyewitness reports, a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket just exploded during a test on a launch pad at Cape Canaveral. This rocket was set to launch on Saturday, Sept. 3 on a mission to deliver Facebook’s first satellite to orbit.

This man launched a website so people can invite refugees to stay in their homes
Perry Stein I The Washington Post I August 25, 2016

It’s about making vulnerable newcomers to the country feel at home. The concept of his site, called EmergencyBnB, resembles Airbnb, where people list their homes or a bedroom for travelers to rent by the night. But on EmergencyBnB, no money is exchanged and the people looking for places to stay are often in a crisis with nowhere to go.

Justin Trudeau turns to Weibo and WeChat to reach Chinese audience
Susan Lunn I CBC News I
August 29, 2016

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is well-known for his use of social media in Canada. He will be able to reach out to Chinese people during his visit through social media services Weibo and WeChat, which are highly popular in China though tightly controlled.

Girls learn app coding to navigate a way out of their Mumbai slum
Vidhi Doshi  I The Guardian I
August 30, 2016

No one thought schoolgirls from Mumbai’s Dharavi slum could code mobile apps. The girls didn’t even know what an app was until recently. But for the past few months, 67 girls have been taking coding lessons at the weekends with a local non-profit, the Slum Innovation Project.

Food Security and the Data Revolution: Mobile Monitoring on the Humanitarian Frontline
Jean-Martin Bauer, Brittany Card, and Alice Clough I Atha I August 26, 2016

Obtaining real-time and actionable information on the needs of affected populations has long been a priority for humanitarians; so keeping up with new technologies that could improve existing data collection systems is also a necessity.

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The Lab's Roundup highlighting stories on technology, media, and data in peacebuilding.
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PeaceTech In Action

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Mishkat Edris 

Today’s contributor is Mishkat Edris, a 2016 Mandela Fellow with the Young African Leaders Initiative at the U.S. Institute of Peace. Learn more about Mishkat’s story when she takes over the PeaceTech Lab's Twitter account tomorrow.

Mishkat Edris works with the United Nations–African Union Mission in Darfur (UNAMID), where she focuses on strategic planning and general administration management. As a member of the Director’s office, which is responsible for peacekeeping in Sudan, Mishkat helps support the Darfur Dialogue. An integral part of her responsibilities is bringing together civil society organizations with UN and government officials, and implementing changes to policy based on their recommendations.

Mishkat has degrees in both Accounting and Finance, which she uses in her local community by helping women and youth develop life skills and economic and financial literacy through entrepreneurship. While low internet penetration is still a challenge in Sudan, the growing popularity of smartphones has opened up both new business and new educational opportunities. Upon completion of her Mandela Washington Fellowship, Mishkat plans to use online learning to expand educational opportunities to more people, particularly women and girls, in Darfur.

PeaceTech Commentary

PeaceTech Lab staff provide analysis on an important trend in the news.
Are there alternatives to counter-propaganda in an information age?
James Deane & Will Taylor I BBC Media Action I September 2, 2016

Violent extremism is a growing problem and there is no doubt that the propaganda narratives from organisations like IS are sophisticated. Media and communication strategies need to be a priority in combating these groups but there needs to be a better evidence-based debate to determine which strategies are actually likely to achieve results.

With 1,212 attacks and 10,459 fatalities related to terrorism, 2016 is on track to be the deadliest year yet for recorded incidents of violent extremism.  But it’s not just securing the physical realm that occupies so much of policy makers’ time, money and energy. As James Deane and Will Taylor point out, “We live in an information age and the ‘war on terror’ has increasingly focused on battles over the information space.”

Indeed, ten years ago hardly anyone would have hailed the killing of a terrorist organization’s Chief Propagandist as “a significant blow.” It is a sign of the changing times that news media outlets such as the BBC and companies like Google feel the burden to go beyond their traditional roles of reporting and information aggregating in order to counteract violent narratives. Recent experiments by Google-owned Jigsaw look promising for identifying and amplifying credible voices to stop ISIS recruitment, but as Deane and Taylor caution, better evidence (which we at the Lab would classify as measurement that accounts for both human sentiment and on-the-ground indicators) is needed to ensure such tactics by companies, governments, and NGOs do more good than harm. 
 
Commentary by Twila Tschan | Communications Coordinator | PeaceTech Lab

PeaceTech News Roundup

This week's compilation of the most important news stories highlighting the role of technology, media, and data in conflict zones. 
App launches in Egypt to combat forced disappearances
Ruth Michaelson I The Guardian I September 6, 2016

The Egyptian Commission for Rights and Freedoms (ECRF) has created I Protect, an app that allows Android phone users to key in a code when they are being detained, which sends three text messages to contacts and an email containing the location of their arrest to the ECRF.

White Nationalist Movement grew on Twitter by 600% in 4 years, outperforming ISIS
Sarah Harvard I Mic I September 2, 2016

There are more white nationalists and neo-Nazis on Twitter than members and advocates of ISIS. The follower growth of "major white nationalist movement and organization accounts" grew by 600% from 3,542 in 2012 to 25,406 followers in 2016.

Human rights data used the wrong way can be misleading
Meg Satterthwaite I Open Democracy I
September 1, 2016

In a world of evidence-based policy and data-driven decision-making, it’s time for the human rights advocacy world to more fully embrace new methods. While data is important for human rights advocacy, the risks of misleading people are also very real and advocates must insist on rigor.

Scriptwriting for Syrians
Hozan Akko I BBC Media Action I
September 1, 2016

A new radio drama for Syrians hopes to bridge divides and help people deal with the pressures of prolonged conflict. By portraying experiences common to many Syrians, Hay El-Matar hopes to foster peace and help people across different ethnic, geographical and religious divides to cope with the prolonged conflict.

Mediated Information: How gender shapes information in Afghanistan
Jeanne Bourgault I Internews I September 1, 2016

Afghanistan has made great strides in establishing media and communications outlets; today there are more than 250 independent radio stations and 100 TV channels across the country. However, very little is known about the ways in which Afghans, including these women, actually engage in information exchange.

PeaceTech in the News!

Senior Specialist Giselle Lopez was interviewed by New Scientist for an article discussing the problematic use of social media by extremists groups, and what approaches should be taken in order to stop them. Great job, Giselle!
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The Lab's Roundup highlighting stories on technology, media, and data in peacebuilding.
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PeaceTech In Action

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+SocialGood

 

+SocialGood is a global community of innovators, social entrepreneurs, and thought leaders united around a shared vision: that today’s connected generation can leverage technology and new media to help create a better world. An initiative of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the Case Foundation, Caterpillar, Cisco, Enactus, Mashable, the Rockefeller Foundation, the United Nations Development Programme, the United Nations Foundation, and the 92Y, +SocialGood’s mission is to inspire collaboration across sectors, geographical boundaries, and issue silos through its unique online social media platform and worldwide events.

Since its launch in 2013, the +SocialGood online community has grown to over 60,000 members, fans, and followers from 148 countries. The social network features four main topic areas: Share Your Story for highlighting successful programs or new calls-to-action, Ask & Answer to allow members to crowdsource knowledge on social good and technology, Find Tools for sharing the latest innovations and resources for good, and Social Good Summit information for showcasing events related to Tech for Good.

The Social Good Summit will take place September 18-19th in NYC. The conference, which examines the impact of technology and new media on social good initiatives, will feature presentations from VP Joe Biden, Ambassador Samantha Power, social advocates for Syrian refugees, the Black Lives Matter movement, and LGBTQ issues, a former child soldier, actors, musicians, journalists, and CEOs. The summit in will also connect with meetups in over 100 countries around the world (learn how to host your own here), tying together a global agenda for a better world by the year 2030.

Follow @plus_socialgood, @MashableEvents, & @PeaceTechLab for live updates. 

PeaceTech Commentary

PeaceTech Lab staff provide analysis on an important trend in the news.

Tanzania's government is set to deploy drones to speed up land mapping in rural areas in a bid to halt frequent, sometimes deadly clashes between farmers and cattle herders over land and scarce water resources.

When it comes to armed conflict, drones have become synonymous with weapons systems, yet this article points to the growing relevance of drones in the humanitarian space to gather crucial information in areas that are difficult to reach. The project in Tanzania posits that drones can support sharing of information to prevent violent conflicts over land. Drones have become increasingly accepted as a valuable source of information in humanitarian response largely thanks to the efforts of Patrick Meier and his work with UAViators.

At PeaceTech Lab, we are proponents of using technology in innovative ways to prevent and resolve violent conflict. From our work with conflict-affected communities, we recognize the many challenges to using technology for peacebuilding. In the case of Tanzania, clearly demarcated boundaries would likely help prevent continued violence over territory disputes. Given the sensitivity of this issue, transparency of the program and close consultations with those affected by it will be crucial to its success.

 
Commentary by Giselle Lopez | Senior Specialist | PeaceTech Lab

PeaceTech News Roundup

This week's compilation of the most important news stories highlighting the role of technology, media, and data in conflict zones. 
Facebook Is Collaborating With the Israeli Government to Determine What Should Be Censored
Glenn Greenwald The Intercept I 
September 12, 2016

The Associated Press reports from Jerusalem that “the Israeli government and Facebook have agreed to work together to determine how to tackle incitement on the social media network.” These meetings are taking place “as the government pushes ahead with legislative steps meant to force social networks to rein in content that Israel says incites violence.”

Governments Around the World Deny Internet Access to Political Opponents
Mike Orcutt I MIT Technology Review I 
September 8, 2016

Internet access is clearly linked to individuals’ socioeconomic status and the level of development where they live. These factors contribute to “digital divides” seen throughout the world. In the new analysis, Nils Weidmann and his coauthors aimed to shed light on a factor that isn’t as well understood: political divisions between ethnic groups.

Crowdfunding development aid would direct funds where they are needed most
Blair Glencorse I Guardian I
September 13, 2016

Introducing crowdsourcing mechanisms into the aid business would overcome many of these problems and direct more funds to where they are most needed, wanted and effectively used. Such an approach could be inspired by popular sites such as GlobalGiving, Kickstarter and  Indiegogo – the crowdfunding industry globally raised $34B last year.

George Clooney’s Group Tracked South Sudanese Leaders Using Instagram
Daniel White Time Magazine 
September 12, 2016

Investigators at The Sentry, an initiative co-founded by actor George Clooney, said during a press conference Monday that they used information from Facebook and Instagram to confirm how officials had spent the profits they made from controlling South Sudan’s natural resources.

Africa cracks down on social media
Patrick Kihara & Juliet Njeri I BBC I
September 10, 2016

Security experts warn that African governments and commercial online services are vulnerable to criminals, who have the potential to disrupt critical infrastructure. But critics say that these laws could also be used to clamp down on the use of online platforms that promote good governance, express dissent and mobilize citizen engagement.

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The Lab's Roundup highlighting stories on technology, media, and data in peacebuilding.
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PeaceTech In Action

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Social Media in Challenging Environments Tool Series:
Crimson Hexagon

 

Last week, PeaceTech Lab held “Social Media in Challenging Environments”, an event focusing on applying social media analytics to conflict environments. At this event, attendees learned how organizations working in conflict- and disaster-affected areas are using social media to creatively monitor and respond to events on the ground. The first tool that will be highlighted in this series is Crimson Hexagon.

Crimson Hexagon is a leading provider of social media analysis software. Powered by patented technology and an in-house data library of more than 500 billion posts, Crimson Hexagon's ForSight™ platform helps hundreds of brands, agencies, and nonprofits answer critical business questions through the insights derived from social data. Clients include leading global organizations such as General Mills, Starbucks, Paramount Pictures, Microsoft, and Twitter.

As the world was just beginning to turn its attention to the Syrian Refugee Crisis, Crimson Hexagon decided to pursue research using their unique social media analysis tools. In collaboration with E-Nor, Crimson Hexagon compared European responses with Arab responses to the rapidly deteriorating situation using data collected from social media. The analysis was conducted by training algorithms to recognize positive/negative/neutral sentiment on posts about the crisis. Interestingly, a picture began to emerge of which sides were to blame for the conflict (ISIS vs. Syrian Government vs. Syrian Rebels). Additionally, through Crimson Hexagon’s Twitter partnership, historical data from the very beginning of the Syrian Crisis was accessed for the analysis. Read Crimson Hexagon's full Syrian Refugee Report here.

PeaceTech Commentary

PeaceTech Lab staff provide analysis on an important trend in the news.
Why New Yorkers Received a Push Alert About a Manhunt
Kaveh Waddell I The Atlantic I September 19, 2016

New Yorkers have received emergency alerts before. In extreme weather, like Jonas earlier this year, the jarring tones have instructed people to move indoors and stay there. AMBER alerts, which use the same system, occasionally ask people to look out for abducted children in their area. But the city never has sent an alert like this.

On Monday, September 19, residents of New York City received a set of two emergency broadcast signals on their mobile devices, the first to warn citizens about a bombing threat, the second to engage citizens in the hunt for the alleged bomber. In New York such warning systems have so far been used to communicate the threats of dangerous weather or an incident of child abduction, but rarely have they been used to warn people about the threat of violence. Nonprofits and governments alike, however, have long sought to apply mobile technology to prevent and mitigate conflict. (See Sisi Ni Amani for an example of SMS the use of SMS alerts to prevent violence in the 2013 Kenyan election.)

Mobile alert systems have their limits - constraints in characters, challenges in geographic targeting to name a few - and the example of New York’s vague, 81-character message demonstrated that such systems should be employed very carefully. But the prospect of instantaneous communication with a broad audience remains very useful for peacebuilders, and nonprofits, technologists, and governments alike will continue trying to improve the field.
 

Commentary by Derek Caelin | Specialist | PeaceTech Lab

PeaceTech News Roundup

This week's compilation of the most important news stories highlighting the role of technology, media, and data in conflict zones. 
Toward a more sustainable response to the refugee crisis: The pressing need for better data
Sarah Dalrymple I Devex I
September 19, 2016

World leaders gathered for the UN Summit on Refugees and Migrants this week to agree on a more coordinated global response to escalating levels of forced displacement. It’s vital that data and evidence are at the forefront of decision making.

Mobile app raises awareness of Global Goals, connects people who want to make a difference
UN News September 19, 2016

Collaborating with the Groupe Spécial Mobile (GSMA), which represents the interests of mobile operators worldwide, and non-profit global campaign Project Everyone, the UN created the Action app, which also includes associated SDG targets, explanatory videos, key data, and suggestions on how people can take action to help achieve them.

Censoring the terrors of war
Ian Mahoney Open Democracy 
September 19, 2016

The debate which occurred around the Napalm-girl photo — and over Facebook's censorship of imagery surrounding breast-feeding mothers and whether such a natural interaction should be allowed to be shared publicly or not — helps to reveal the complex nature of the politics of imagery, and draws our attention to the often-hidden nature of censorship.

The UAE Has Avoided an ‘Arab Spring’ by Systematically Repressing Critical Speech
Afef Abrougui Global Voices Advox I 
September 20, 2016

Three years ago, the UAE government prosecuted en masse 94 government critics and activists who called for reform in the Emirates. Since this time, there has been no Arab Spring-like uprising. Yet the state-sponsored repression of human rights advocates and journalists continues unabated.

SEEK - A Tech-Enabled OD Platform That Facilitates Change and Culture Building Across All Levels
Sujata Sangwan I BW Disrupt I 
September 19, 2016

Started in November 2015, Bangalore-based SEEK is an interactive mobile led organization development (OD) intervention platform that utilizes technology and the power of research to facilitate change and culture building across all levels in the organization through a process of enrollment, motivation and empowerment. 

The Growth of the Syrian Media and Reliable Voices
Caroline Ayoub I News Deeply I
September 20, 2016

In the five years since the Syrian conflict began, many Syrian independent media activists have joined forces and combined resources to provide trustworthy, sophisticated and far-reaching coverage of the war. 

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The Lab's Roundup highlighting stories on technology, media, and data in peacebuilding.
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PeaceTech In Action

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RESOLVE Network

 

Theories abound about the factors that drive violent extremism. Unfortunately, many of those theories are based on anecdotal evidence and confuse the issue rather than shedding light on its true causes.

Working across multiple borders and in affected regions, the Researching Solutions to Violent Extremism (RESOLVE) Network is a global consortium of researchers and research organizations launched in September 2015. The primary goal of the network is to generate, facilitate, aggregate, and synthesize sound, locally informed research on the drivers of vulnerability and sources of resilience to violent social movements and extremism. The Network supports research through trainings, workshops, and conferences, while also facilitating access to grants.

The RESOLVE Network Data Portal, launched today, is a virtual representation of an ongoing quest to understand the drivers and characteristics of political violence and violent extremism. The Data Portal focuses on the six regions which have the greatest concentration of vulnerability and instability due to extremist groups. Users can explore curated datasets and unique visualizations designed to enhance understanding of the complex problems accompanying violent extremism. 

PeaceTech Commentary

PeaceTech Lab staff provide analysis on an important trend in the news.
Digital divide gets deeper
Farish Noor The Star I September 25, 2016

“It is not an accident that the innovations we see today... emanate from societies that have reached not only a certain point of economic-industrial advancement, but also of peace and stability where innovation can take place unmolested by radically contingent variables.”

The digital divide in this case is not about who is partially connected versus those with ubiquitous connectivity and power, but instead is a way to contrast innovation in peaceful contexts versus innovation in war-torn societies, where basic necessities of life drive the day’s activities far more than the random Pokémon Go sighting. While it's true that life in a war-torn country is very much removed from the first world existence many of us experience, this does not mean connectivity is nonexistent. The type of innovation is different - instead of designing blue sky projects, you are more likely to see existing technologies repurposed or applied in different ways.  As an example, simple text messages can be used to organize civil resistance campaigns, curtail hate speech, reduce election violence, or even provide a land titling system. 

When applying technology for social good purposes in war-torn countries, the context is critical. The ways in which information is propagated, the risks involved in open or closed communication, and how change happens in a society will all impact how successful a technological intervention can be. This also impacts the ability to meaningfully connect on a human level, be it with children in war-torn settings or those living in better conditions. 
 
Commentary by Noel Dickover | Director, PeaceTech Data Networks | PeaceTech Lab

PeaceTech News Roundup

This week's compilation of the most important news stories highlighting the role of technology, media, and data in conflict zones. 
Tech Transforms the Election Experience, From VR to Voter Registration
Bernadette Tansey Xconomy 
September 23, 2016

AltspaceVR has created a virtual replica of NBC’s Democracy Plaza in New York’s Rockefeller Plaza, the backdrop for network anchors during the debates and on election night. Political junkies will be able to invite their friends to join them in Virtual Democracy Plaza for NBC’s four virtual debate watch parties, political comedy shows, and the vote count drama the night of the election.

Opening up a world of data for resilience: A global effort to help access and use countries’ disaster risk information
Vivien Deparday I The World Bank I
September 26, 2016

Robust and actionable information can help those at risk understand and prepare for hazards. However, such information is often inaccessible, disparate, or nonexistent. Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery launched the Open Data for Resilience Initiative as a way to harness innovations in the areas of open data, civic technology and user-centered design.

Facebook accused of censoring Palestinian journalists
Amar Toor The Verge I 
September 26, 2016

Facebook has apologized for disabling the personal accounts of several editors and executives at two major Palestinian news publications. Facebook says the accounts were mistakenly suspended after being reported for violating the site's community standards, but the publications believe the incident is related to Israel's recent push to combat online incitement to violence.

Syrian voices on social media helped me attempt to understand the terrible costs of war
Kieran Chapman I Economy I
September 22, 2016

Social media is a powerful tool. It can broaden our perspectives and put previously hidden events in front of our eyes in real time. This power is never more apparent than during a catastrophe or conflict. For the best part of a decade, media coverage of war has been accompanied by images from civilians in the streets with camera phones and Twitter accounts.

The Limits of Redirection
 Kieron O’Hara I Slate I
September 27, 2016

Tackling extremism involves empathy, understanding the goods that extreme groups provide for their members. The Redirect initiative does this, taking seriously the search terms that those people with an already positive view of ISIS are using.

Technology training for the workplace: Empowering Rwanda’s college graduates
Indego Africa I ONE I 
September 27, 2016

In Rwanda, and across the developing world, many people lack the technological skills needed to participate in this increasingly digitized economy. Indego Africa’s new Technology Training for the Workplace (TTW) program in Rwanda was created to help close that gap.

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The Lab's Roundup highlighting stories on technology, media, and data in peacebuilding.
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PeaceTech In Action

Stories of peacebuilders using technology, media, and data in the field. 


RESOLVE Network

 

Theories abound about the factors that drive violent extremism. Unfortunately, many of those theories are based on anecdotal evidence and confuse the issue rather than shedding light on its true causes.

Working across multiple borders and in affected regions, the Researching Solutions to Violent Extremism (RESOLVE) Network is a global consortium of researchers and research organizations launched in September 2015. The primary goal of the network is to generate, facilitate, aggregate, and synthesize sound, locally informed research on the drivers of vulnerability and sources of resilience to violent social movements and extremism. The Network supports research through trainings, workshops, and conferences, while also facilitating access to grants.

The RESOLVE Network Data Portal, launched today, is a virtual representation of an ongoing quest to understand the drivers and characteristics of political violence and violent extremism. The Data Portal focuses on the six regions which have the greatest concentration of vulnerability and instability due to extremist groups. Users can explore curated datasets and unique visualizations designed to enhance understanding of the complex problems accompanying violent extremism. 

PeaceTech Commentary

PeaceTech Lab staff provide analysis on an important trend in the news.
Digital divide gets deeper
Farish Noor The Star I September 25, 2016

“It is not an accident that the innovations we see today... emanate from societies that have reached not only a certain point of economic-industrial advancement, but also of peace and stability where innovation can take place unmolested by radically contingent variables.”

The digital divide in this case is not about who is partially connected versus those with ubiquitous connectivity and power, but instead is a way to contrast innovation in peaceful contexts versus innovation in war-torn societies, where basic necessities of life drive the day’s activities far more than the random Pokémon Go sighting. While it's true that life in a war-torn country is very much removed from the first world existence many of us experience, this does not mean connectivity is nonexistent. The type of innovation is different - instead of designing blue sky projects, you are more likely to see existing technologies repurposed or applied in different ways.  As an example, simple text messages can be used to organize civil resistance campaigns, curtail hate speech, reduce election violence, or even provide a land titling system. 

When applying technology for social good purposes in war-torn countries, the context is critical. The ways in which information is propagated, the risks involved in open or closed communication, and how change happens in a society will all impact how successful a technological intervention can be. This also impacts the ability to meaningfully connect on a human level, be it with children in war-torn settings or those living in better conditions. 
 
Commentary by Noel Dickover | Director, PeaceTech Data Networks | PeaceTech Lab

PeaceTech News Roundup

This week's compilation of the most important news stories highlighting the role of technology, media, and data in conflict zones. 
Tech Transforms the Election Experience, From VR to Voter Registration
Bernadette Tansey Xconomy 
September 23, 2016

AltspaceVR has created a virtual replica of NBC’s Democracy Plaza in New York’s Rockefeller Plaza, the backdrop for network anchors during the debates and on election night. Political junkies will be able to invite their friends to join them in Virtual Democracy Plaza for NBC’s four virtual debate watch parties, political comedy shows, and the vote count drama the night of the election.

Opening up a world of data for resilience: A global effort to help access and use countries’ disaster risk information
Vivien Deparday I The World Bank I
September 26, 2016

Robust and actionable information can help those at risk understand and prepare for hazards. However, such information is often inaccessible, disparate, or nonexistent. Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery launched the Open Data for Resilience Initiative as a way to harness innovations in the areas of open data, civic technology and user-centered design.

Facebook accused of censoring Palestinian journalists
Amar Toor The Verge I 
September 26, 2016

Facebook has apologized for disabling the personal accounts of several editors and executives at two major Palestinian news publications. Facebook says the accounts were mistakenly suspended after being reported for violating the site's community standards, but the publications believe the incident is related to Israel's recent push to combat online incitement to violence.

Syrian voices on social media helped me attempt to understand the terrible costs of war
Kieran Chapman I Economy I
September 22, 2016

Social media is a powerful tool. It can broaden our perspectives and put previously hidden events in front of our eyes in real time. This power is never more apparent than during a catastrophe or conflict. For the best part of a decade, media coverage of war has been accompanied by images from civilians in the streets with camera phones and Twitter accounts.

The Limits of Redirection
 Kieron O’Hara I Slate I
September 27, 2016

Tackling extremism involves empathy, understanding the goods that extreme groups provide for their members. The Redirect initiative does this, taking seriously the search terms that those people with an already positive view of ISIS are using.

Technology training for the workplace: Empowering Rwanda’s college graduates
Indego Africa I ONE I 
September 27, 2016

In Rwanda, and across the developing world, many people lack the technological skills needed to participate in this increasingly digitized economy. Indego Africa’s new Technology Training for the Workplace (TTW) program in Rwanda was created to help close that gap.

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PeaceTech In Action

Stories of peacebuilders using technology, media, and data in the field. 


Social Media in Challenging Environments Tool Series:
Geofeedia

Last month, PeaceTech Lab held “Social Media in Challenging Environments”, an event focusing on applying social media analytics to conflict environments. At this event, attendees learned how organizations working in conflict- and disaster-affected areas are using social media to creatively monitor and respond to events on the ground. The second tool that will be highlighted in this series is Geofeedia.

Geofeedia is a social media monitoring, analysis and intelligence platform. Through its patented technology, Geofeedia aggregates real-time, location-based intelligence to analyze social media content and join social conversations. Since 2011, Geofeedia has supported over 600 customers with a focus in security, public sector and emergency management, and marketing to accelerate their responses to events, both planned and unplanned.

Cure Violence is an NGO whose model of “interrupting” violent conflict through community mobilization has been implemented in places as diverse as Chicago, New York, Basra, and Capetown. Cure Violence realized that social media played an important role in turning conflict and conversations violent. By using Geofeedia’s location-specific insights to proactively detect violent situations, Cure Violence has improved community mobilizers’ ability to identify at-risk individuals, respond rapidly to escalating conflict, and change community norms. Geofeedia’s functionality and platform have been utilized to document areas prone to violence, set up actionable alerts for potential conflict, monitor real-time social media content, organize outreach, and engage in crisis management.

PeaceTech Commentary

PeaceTech Lab staff provide analysis on an important trend in the news.
Social media used to fuel South Sudan's civil war
 Parach Mach I Anadolu Agency I September 30, 2016

South Sudan, the world’s youngest nation, shares the rest of the world’s love of social media, but with one difference: Observers believe combatants have marshalled this digital tool to incite atrocities and massacres along ethnic lines in the nation’s two-and-a-half-year-old civil war.

Although social media garnered international attention for promoting democratic change as part of the Arab Spring revolutions in the Middle East and North Africa, social media are increasingly platforms for disseminating hate speech which can catalyze mass violence. As noted in the article, countries with rapidly expanding Internet access, such as South Sudan, are also experiencing the spread of online rumors, misinformation, and targeted attacks to exploit political or ethnic differences. Meanwhile, weak regulatory frameworks and low levels of media literacy enable dangerous speech to easily filter through social media to local communities, inflaming tensions and increasing the potential for violence.

In these cases, peacebuilding technology is important for understanding how information flows can influence local communities. Considering the context of social media content and the influence networks of hate speech disseminators and their targets is critical to designing appropriate counter-messaging initiatives. Fortunately, new research methods and technology tools can be used to better identify, monitor, and counter dangerous speech online.

PeaceTech Lab is currently conducting research that analyzes online hate speech terminology related to the current conflict in South Sudan. The resulting hate speech lexicon will be plugged into software tools such as NodeXL and Crimson Hexagon to map online influencers and track the historic uses of key inflammatory terms. With more contextual analysis in place, the goal is to better inform other organizations and individuals combating online hate speech.

Editor’s note: for more on social media’s role in conflict, check out the newly released “Blogs & Bullets IV: How Social Media Undermines Transitions to Democracy.”
 
Commentary by Theo Dolan | Director, PeaceMedia and PeaceTech Lab Africa

PeaceTech News Roundup

This week's compilation of the most important news stories highlighting the role of technology, media, and data in conflict zones. 
Colombians Clash Online, Hoping to End the Country's Armed Conflict
Andrés Lombana-Bermudez I Global Voices October 1, 2016

Colombia's community of Internet users isn't unanimous about the proposed settlement with FARC, however, and a vocal part of society says the agreement asks too much compromise. The war should continue, these critics argue, arguing that fears about the deal are legitimate.

This Guy Is Helping Journalists Find Tweets In War Zones
John Knefel I Inverse October 3, 2016

WarWire is a browser-based program that allows users to easily search geo-tagged social media posts by location or keyword. The program is aimed at journalists and researchers who need to report on and analyze a conflict zone that’s too dangerous to physically monitor.

When Disaster Strikes, He Creates A 'Crisis Map' That Helps Save Lives
Hannah Bloch I NPR October 2, 2016

Meier used Ushahidi, a free and open-source mapping technology, to put together a crisis map during the earthquake in Haiti in 2010. He believes using this technology will make crisis mapping even more effective for disaster response.

Jason Le Miere I International Business Times October 3, 2016

As fears increase of further conflict between the two nuclear powers, many in India and Pakistan are urging common ground. Facebook and Twitter users have been utilizing the hashtag #ProfileforPeace and changing their profile pictures to a message for their political leaders. 

'I need peace': seven-year-old Bana tweets her life in besieged Aleppo
Kareem Shaheen I The Guardian I
October 3, 2016

On Bana and her mother Fatemah's Twitter account, @alabedbana which now has more than 4,000 followers since they began tweeting on September 24th with the singular message: “I need peace,” Bana and Fatemah offer snippets of life under the bombs, and images of the carnage in their city.

Delivering cholera medicine in Syria: A video to get aid workers 'mission ready'
Maeve Shearlaw The Guardian 
October 3, 2016

Mission Ready was designed by the NGO RedR UK and Digital Training Solutions (DTS) to put humanitarians through their paces, making them less vulnerable and equipping them to deal with risk. The app helps prepare and empower staff in conflict areas to make decisions in dangerous situations.

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PeaceTech In Action

Stories of peacebuilders using technology, media, and data in the field. 


SDGs in Action

The SDGs in Action app highlights the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by curating the latest sustainable development news from around the world and by using case studies and short films to highlight how the mobile industry is delivering against the SDGs.

The app allows users to customize notifications, create a newsfeed dedicated to their favorite goals and make their own action plans for working toward their specified SDGs. The app also provides information including SDG targets, explanatory videos, key facts and figures, and suggestions on how individuals can find and plan events for collective action. This encourages users to learn how innovation is helping achieve the goals while interacting with global citizens around the world.

The UN’s 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, featuring the 17 SDGs, was unanimously adopted by world leaders at a historic UN Summit in September 2015. The app supporting these goals is the result of a collaboration between Groupe Spécial Mobile Association (GSMA), which represents the interests of nearly 800 mobile operators worldwide, Project Everyone, a non-profit global campaign to spread the messaging of the SDGs, and the United Nations.

PeaceTech Commentary

PeaceTech Lab staff provide analysis on an important trend in the news.
War Goes Viral: How social media is being weaponized across the world
Emerson T. Brooking & P.W. Singer I The Atlantic I October 11, 2016

Social media has empowered ISIS recruiting, In addition, it was the vehicle ISIS used to declare war on the United States: The execution of the American journalist James Foley was deliberately choreographed for viral distribution. And it is how the group has inspired acts of terror on five continents.

Technologies from the spear and the telegraph to radar and drones have always played a role in warfare. Newer innovations like social media and smartphone apps are no different, and they have been used by terrorist groups like ISIS to coordinate attacks, fundraise, recruit new members, and radicalize would-be terrorists around the world. Jared Cohen from Google’s Jigsaw calls ISIS “the first terrorist group to hold both physical and digital territory.” 

These are definitely alarming trends, but PeaceTech Lab also believes in the power of these tools to help resolve the underlying problems with extremism: namely, better governance and accountability, preventing marginalization in society, and understanding and addressing grievances effectively without violence. 

Projects like PeaceTech Lab's Open Situation Room Exchange are studying the reach of violent and destabilizing messages across social media in order to understand the impact such language has in both numbers and geography, as well as understanding the effectiveness of counter and alternative narratives.

Learn more at www.osrx.org.

Commentary by Tim Receveur | Director, PeaceTech Exchanges | PeaceTech Lab

PeaceTech News Roundup

This week's compilation of the most important news stories highlighting the role of technology, media, and data in conflict zones. 
Facebook, Twitter and Instagram sent feeds that helped police track minorities in Ferguson and Baltimore, report says
Craig Timberg & Elizabeth Dwoskin I 
Washington Post 
October 11, 2016

The companies provided the data to Geofeedia, a company that analyzes social media posts to deliver real-time surveillance information to help 500 law enforcement agencies track and respond to crime. The social media companies cut off Geofeedia’s access to the streams of user data in recently after the ACLU discovered them and alerted the companies about looming public exposure.

Drone, social media make flood rescue happen in real time
Ralph Ellis and John Newsome I CNN I
October 12, 2016

A North Carolina flood victim trapped in his attic for 14 hours was rescued thanks to a drone operator, the perseverance of family, and the cross-country reach of social media.

We Must Honor the Key Role Reporters Play in Syria and Other Conflicts
David M. Crane I News Deeply I 
October 7, 2016

Atrocities against journalists in the civil war include the high-profile beheadings of James Foley and Steven Sotloff, while reporters – such as the late Marie Colvin of the Sunday Times of London – have been caught in indiscriminate bombing; then there are kidnappings, threats and intimidation of journalists and ordinary citizens trying to document their lives.

Atrocity photos – fake and real – increasingly used by South Sudanese propagandists
Radio Tamazuj October 11, 2016

South Sudanese communities online are increasingly sharing extremely graphic and often horrifying photos of purported atrocities as the security situation in the country deteriorates. Some of these images are authentic and depict actual victims of violence in South Sudan whilst others are taken from other contexts and are deliberately used to fan ethnic hatred.

Digital sweatshops in disaster zones: who pays the real price for innovation?
Jonathan Corpus Ong Guardian 
October 11, 2016

Local aid workers are often ignored after being recruited to humanitarian technology and communications teams. Interviews revealed that many of these workers feel money is often wasted on vanity projects because it attracts donors in the competitive humanitarian sector.

ReliefWeb launches 4 new apps
Jenny Lei Ravelo I Devex 
October 11, 2016

The United Nations’ humanitarian information source on global crises and disasters has just rolled out a new feature — on mobile. ReliefWeb, the specialized digital service of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, has launched four mobile apps, each catering to the specific interests of its users.

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PeaceTech In Action

Stories of peacebuilders using technology, media, and data in the field. 


SDGs in Action

The SDGs in Action app highlights the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by curating the latest sustainable development news from around the world and by using case studies and short films to highlight how the mobile industry is delivering against the SDGs.

The app allows users to customize notifications, create a newsfeed dedicated to their favorite goals and make their own action plans for working toward their specified SDGs. The app also provides information including SDG targets, explanatory videos, key facts and figures, and suggestions on how individuals can find and plan events for collective action. This encourages users to learn how innovation is helping achieve the goals while interacting with global citizens around the world.

The UN’s 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, featuring the 17 SDGs, was unanimously adopted by world leaders at a historic UN Summit in September 2015. The app supporting these goals is the result of a collaboration between Groupe Spécial Mobile Association (GSMA), which represents the interests of nearly 800 mobile operators worldwide, Project Everyone, a non-profit global campaign to spread the messaging of the SDGs, and the United Nations.

PeaceTech Commentary

PeaceTech Lab staff provide analysis on an important trend in the news.
War Goes Viral: How social media is being weaponized across the world
Emerson T. Brooking & P.W. Singer I The Atlantic I October 11, 2016

Social media has empowered ISIS recruiting, In addition, it was the vehicle ISIS used to declare war on the United States: The execution of the American journalist James Foley was deliberately choreographed for viral distribution. And it is how the group has inspired acts of terror on five continents.

Technologies from the spear and the telegraph to radar and drones have always played a role in warfare. Newer innovations like social media and smartphone apps are no different, and they have been used by terrorist groups like ISIS to coordinate attacks, fundraise, recruit new members, and radicalize would-be terrorists around the world. Jared Cohen from Google’s Jigsaw calls ISIS “the first terrorist group to hold both physical and digital territory.” 

These are definitely alarming trends, but PeaceTech Lab also believes in the power of these tools to help resolve the underlying problems with extremism: namely, better governance and accountability, preventing marginalization in society, and understanding and addressing grievances effectively without violence. 

Projects like PeaceTech Lab's Open Situation Room Exchange are studying the reach of violent and destabilizing messages across social media in order to understand the impact such language has in both numbers and geography, as well as understanding the effectiveness of counter and alternative narratives.

Learn more at www.osrx.org.

Commentary by Tim Receveur | Director, PeaceTech Exchanges | PeaceTech Lab

PeaceTech News Roundup

This week's compilation of the most important news stories highlighting the role of technology, media, and data in conflict zones. 
Facebook, Twitter and Instagram sent feeds that helped police track minorities in Ferguson and Baltimore, report says
Craig Timberg & Elizabeth Dwoskin I 
Washington Post 
October 11, 2016

The companies provided the data to Geofeedia, a company that analyzes social media posts to deliver real-time surveillance information to help 500 law enforcement agencies track and respond to crime. The social media companies cut off Geofeedia’s access to the streams of user data in recently after the ACLU discovered them and alerted the companies about looming public exposure.

Drone, social media make flood rescue happen in real time
Ralph Ellis and John Newsome I CNN I
October 12, 2016

A North Carolina flood victim trapped in his attic for 14 hours was rescued thanks to a drone operator, the perseverance of family, and the cross-country reach of social media.

We Must Honor the Key Role Reporters Play in Syria and Other Conflicts
David M. Crane I News Deeply I 
October 7, 2016

Atrocities against journalists in the civil war include the high-profile beheadings of James Foley and Steven Sotloff, while reporters – such as the late Marie Colvin of the Sunday Times of London – have been caught in indiscriminate bombing; then there are kidnappings, threats and intimidation of journalists and ordinary citizens trying to document their lives.

Atrocity photos – fake and real – increasingly used by South Sudanese propagandists
Radio Tamazuj October 11, 2016

South Sudanese communities online are increasingly sharing extremely graphic and often horrifying photos of purported atrocities as the security situation in the country deteriorates. Some of these images are authentic and depict actual victims of violence in South Sudan whilst others are taken from other contexts and are deliberately used to fan ethnic hatred.

Digital sweatshops in disaster zones: who pays the real price for innovation?
Jonathan Corpus Ong Guardian 
October 11, 2016

Local aid workers are often ignored after being recruited to humanitarian technology and communications teams. Interviews revealed that many of these workers feel money is often wasted on vanity projects because it attracts donors in the competitive humanitarian sector.

ReliefWeb launches 4 new apps
Jenny Lei Ravelo I Devex 
October 11, 2016

The United Nations’ humanitarian information source on global crises and disasters has just rolled out a new feature — on mobile. ReliefWeb, the specialized digital service of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, has launched four mobile apps, each catering to the specific interests of its users.

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PeaceTech In Action

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Social Media in Challenging Environments Tool Series:
Zoomph

Last month, PeaceTech Lab held “Social Media in Challenging Environments,” an event focusing on applying social media analytics to conflict environments. At this event, attendees learned how organizations working in conflict- and disaster-affected areas are using social media to creatively monitor and respond to events on the ground. Concluding this three-part series is Zoomph.

Zoomph is an end-to-end, unified contextual marketing platform that connects relevant social media moments, trends, influences, and audiences. Using proprietary algorithms, it provides real-time data enrichment, connecting industry insights to pinpoint immediately contextually relevant and actionable information. Zoomph has worked with across many industries including sports and entertainment, technology, government and NGOs, hospitality, and geo-packard enterprises.

The American Red Cross uses Zoomph to achieve their goal of becoming the ultimate first responders in the humanitarian field. With Zoomph, American Red Cross volunteers are able to receive customized reports of relevant content from a geographic and topical perspective. Using Zoomph also allows the American Red Cross to proactively place or evacuate volunteers in specific areas, depending on changing conditions. In addition, American Red Cross uses Zoomph to increase its presence on social media, which is especially important for events and crises. Zoomph’s geolocation tool enables American Red Cross to monitor conversations in real-time and deploy resources to help as events happen.

PeaceTech Commentary

PeaceTech Lab staff provide analysis on an important trend in the news.

"Amnesty International is building a network of digital volunteers to help uncover human rights violations and abuses in the conflict-ravaged Sudanese region of Darfur as part of a revolutionary crowdsourcing project."

It’s fantastic to see crowdsourcing techniques being brought into peace and conflict work. Over the past five years, we have begun to see crowdsourcing techniques applied to many research fields, not to mention websites we visit every day. Closer to the peacebuilding space, we have already seen the disaster relief community use crowdsourcing to respond to natural disasters.

What we have found is that while there are risks of data manipulation by bad actors and crowdsourcing does not necessarily ensure success, if done correctly it can be a great compliment to expert analysis. Harnessing the crowd can act as a force multiplier when sifting through reams of data. This is especially valuable when rapid response is needed or when looking to save on costs.

The peacebuilding field is just beginning to grapple with how to best use these techniques, but at the PeaceTech Lab we like to say every one of us has the power of peacetech. Platforms like this provide an avenue for exactly that.  


Commentary by John Pope | Special Assistant to the President | PeaceTech Lab

PeaceTech News Roundup

This week's compilation of the most important news stories highlighting the role of technology, media, and data in conflict zones. 
Ecuador says it cut WikiLeaks founder's internet over interference in US election
Nicky Woolf I Guardian 
October 19, 2016

Ecuador has confirmed that it has temporarily cut off internet access in its embassy in London to Julian Assange, the founder of the whistleblowing site WikiLeaks, over fears that he was using it to interfere in the US presidential election.

In Ethiopia’s war against social media, the truth is the main casualty
Paul Schemm The Washington Post 
October 14, 2016

Now, however, with  the Internet and the technologies it has spawned — which the Ethiopian government has spent millions developing the necessary infrastructure for — more and more dissident voices are being heard, but often without the restraint or commitment to accuracy of more mainstream media.

Combatting Online Hate Speech in Myanmar
Thomas Baerthlein I Internews I 
October 14, 2016

Mandalay is the heartland of the radical Buddhist Ma Ba Tha movement, which has proven particularly sophisticated in using Facebook for attacks on Muslims. Posts of fake news widely shared on Facebook have helped inflame sectarian Buddhist-Muslim violence that has cost hundreds of lives in various parts of Myanmar since 2012.

This Twitter Collective Takes On ISIS One Account At A Time
Krithika Varagur I The Huffington Post October 13, 2016

One group that’s risen to address this tenuous challenge is CtrlSec, an anonymous Twitter collective with a goal to flag as many ISIS-affiliated accounts for removal as possible. From its main handle, it tweets out batches of flagged accounts several dozen times a day.

There’s Not Always an App for That: How Tech Could Help Refugees More
Meghan Benton and Alex Glennie I News Deeply October 20, 2016

The refugee crisis prompted "digital humanitarianism," an explosion of apps and digital tools to help displaced people on their journey. This has been a huge amount of duplication in the sector, with some tools failing to get off the ground. “Failing fast” might be a badge of honor in Silicon Valley, but what are the risks if vulnerable refugees rely on an app that disappears from one day to the next?

How geospatial technology can help cities plan for a sustainable future
Xueman Wang I The World Bank I
October 13, 2016

Johannesburg has used geospatial data for analyzing inequality and poverty, job-housing mismatch, spatial disconnection, low walkability, and land-use defects. This data then informed city planning and helped officials prepare development scenario options for the future.

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CrowdVoice

 

CrowdVoice.org is an open source platform that makes sense of the flow of information across the web on social movements and ongoing conflicts, raising awareness and deepening insight into the forces of change worldwide. It was created with the belief that access to organized information is the cornerstone of social change and the advancement of human rights.

Founded by Mideast Youth, CrowdVoice monitors social movements in the Middle East and North Africa region. Mideast Youth is a regional NGO, based in Bahrain, was established to use digital media to support protestors and amplify their voices. Despite censorship laws, Mideast Youth performs this vital role to support CrowdVoice.

The platform employs crowdsourcing technology to mine relevant content from internet noise, presenting complete and nuanced pictures using both citizen and mainstream media. Although originally started to monitor social movements in the MENA region, CrowdVoice has expanded its service to amplify content from across the world. In addition to traceable archives of photos, articles, and videos, CrowdVoice is host to many exclusive interactive timelines and infographics which promote comprehensive understanding of the complexities surrounding a wide range of topics, from caste atrocities in India, to journalistic freedom in Mexico.

In its most recent effort, the team behind CrowdVoice leveraged their decade-long experience in the fields of tech and human rights advocacy to build CrowdVoice.by, a free and customizable version of the platform available for use by citizen journalists and grassroots organizations.

PeaceTech Commentary

PeaceTech Lab staff provide analysis on an important trend in the news.
Pirate radio risks death to fight ISIS on airwaves
Moni Basu I CNN I October 22, 2016

Almost a year after ISIS imposed its signature tyranny in Mosul and surrounding Nineveh province, Al Mawsily and two partners launched a radio station for the million or so residents left trapped in the beleaguered city. They named it Alghad, or tomorrow, in hope of a better future. Alghad FM defies ISIS with its programs, and so everything about the station has to be kept underground.

An Iraqi man uses his last dinar to buy cellular data and risks death by calling into a radio program to denounce ISIS. A 7 year-old Syrian girl tweets to her 12,000 followers “I want to live like a child but instead I am stressed now. I need peace.” Why do people sacrifice what little they have for the sake of remaining online and connected? Perhaps because technology allows for expression of identity, and we know conflict and identity are inextricably linked: the former is often predicated on the latter, and the latter is in turn shaped by the former.

Sawa Shabab, PeaceTech Lab’s radio drama now entering it’s third season, is at its core a show about identity. Each episode follows the lives of young South Sudanese as they navigate everything from tribal conflict and gender inequity, to universal issues like school, work, friendships, family, love, and planning for the future. Although the stories’ characters are fictitious, the program’s unique SMS and call-in feature at the end of each episode allows for the same kind of spontaneous expression we see from Al Mawsily’s Iraqi listeners: people sharing their truth in the midst of insecurity and conflict.

Sawa Shabab’s broadcasts in English, Arabic, Dinka, and Nuer cement the idea of identity, as listeners in the diaspora and beyond can experience common themes in a familiar language. Sawa Shabab’s episodes are freely available online, and you can take part in the conversation by following @SawaShabab on Twitter.  
 

Commentary by Twila Tschan | Communications Coordinator | PeaceTech Lab

PeaceTech News Roundup

This week's compilation of the most important news stories highlighting the role of technology, media, and data in conflict zones. 
David Iaconangelo CS Monitor 
October 25, 2016

With the clearing of the camp comes the demise of a politically potent symbol. But for many of the migrants squatting there, their departure is just the next chapter. And as has been the case throughout Europe’s refugee crisis, a flurry of tech innovations have sprung up to lend a hand to people who make long and perilous voyages into unknown countries that receive them uneasily or with outright hostility.

Yomi Kazeem I Quartz Africa 
October 25, 2016

Despite ultimately futile efforts to pass a bill that was seen as a pretext to censor Nigerians on social media, lawmakers in Nigeria are now taking advantage of the popularity of social media platforms by live-streaming its plenary sessions on Facebook to connect with more citizens.

Patrick Meier, PhD iRevolutions 
October 26, 2016

Media companies like AFP, CNN and others are increasingly capturing dramatic aerial footage with small drones (UAVs) following major disasters around the world. These companies can be part of the solution when it comes to adding value to humanitarian efforts on the ground. But they can also be a part of the problem.

Bethan McKernan I Independent I 
October 25, 2016

Israeli authorities are pressuring social media companies to do more to remove posts which could incite violence, including drafting laws - which digital rights groups say would be unworkable - to compel platforms to take down content that could incite violence. 

To Map Crisis Zones, Humanitarian Groups Turn to the Crowd
Natasha Balwit CityLab
October 26, 2016

The MapSwipe app’s primary purpose is to make detailed and useful maps for humanitarian organizations, but it allows users to provides a service to the users, too. Beyond entertainment, it offers a window into the world, and encourages exploration and engagement with foreign and unknown landscapes.

The great Brexit text mess: how Boris, Gove and co waged war by phone
Chitra Ramaswamy I Guardian 
October 24, 2016

Many of the extraordinary political machinations that followed the Brexit vote were reportedly organised – or scuppered – by text messages between Boris Johnson, David Cameron, Michael Gove, Andrea Leadsom, Nick Boles, Craig Oliver, and Lucy Thomas .

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CrowdVoice

 

CrowdVoice.org is an open source platform that makes sense of the flow of information across the web on social movements and ongoing conflicts, raising awareness and deepening insight into the forces of change worldwide. It was created with the belief that access to organized information is the cornerstone of social change and the advancement of human rights.

Founded by Mideast Youth, CrowdVoice monitors social movements in the Middle East and North Africa region. Mideast Youth is a regional NGO, based in Bahrain, was established to use digital media to support protestors and amplify their voices. Despite censorship laws, Mideast Youth performs this vital role to support CrowdVoice.

The platform employs crowdsourcing technology to mine relevant content from internet noise, presenting complete and nuanced pictures using both citizen and mainstream media. Although originally started to monitor social movements in the MENA region, CrowdVoice has expanded its service to amplify content from across the world. In addition to traceable archives of photos, articles, and videos, CrowdVoice is host to many exclusive interactive timelines and infographics which promote comprehensive understanding of the complexities surrounding a wide range of topics, from caste atrocities in India, to journalistic freedom in Mexico.

In its most recent effort, the team behind CrowdVoice leveraged their decade-long experience in the fields of tech and human rights advocacy to build CrowdVoice.by, a free and customizable version of the platform available for use by citizen journalists and grassroots organizations.

PeaceTech Commentary

PeaceTech Lab staff provide analysis on an important trend in the news.
Pirate radio risks death to fight ISIS on airwaves
Moni Basu I CNN I October 22, 2016

Almost a year after ISIS imposed its signature tyranny in Mosul and surrounding Nineveh province, Al Mawsily and two partners launched a radio station for the million or so residents left trapped in the beleaguered city. They named it Alghad, or tomorrow, in hope of a better future. Alghad FM defies ISIS with its programs, and so everything about the station has to be kept underground.

An Iraqi man uses his last dinar to buy cellular data and risks death by calling into a radio program to denounce ISIS. A 7 year-old Syrian girl tweets to her 12,000 followers “I want to live like a child but instead I am stressed now. I need peace.” Why do people sacrifice what little they have for the sake of remaining online and connected? Perhaps because technology allows for expression of identity, and we know conflict and identity are inextricably linked: the former is often predicated on the latter, and the latter is in turn shaped by the former.

Sawa Shabab, PeaceTech Lab’s radio drama now entering it’s third season, is at its core a show about identity. Each episode follows the lives of young South Sudanese as they navigate everything from tribal conflict and gender inequity, to universal issues like school, work, friendships, family, love, and planning for the future. Although the stories’ characters are fictitious, the program’s unique SMS and call-in feature at the end of each episode allows for the same kind of spontaneous expression we see from Al Mawsily’s Iraqi listeners: people sharing their truth in the midst of insecurity and conflict.

Sawa Shabab’s broadcasts in English, Arabic, Dinka, and Nuer cement the idea of identity, as listeners in the diaspora and beyond can experience common themes in a familiar language. Sawa Shabab’s episodes are freely available online, and you can take part in the conversation by following @SawaShabab on Twitter.  
 

Commentary by Twila Tschan | Communications Coordinator | PeaceTech Lab

PeaceTech News Roundup

This week's compilation of the most important news stories highlighting the role of technology, media, and data in conflict zones. 
David Iaconangelo CS Monitor 
October 25, 2016

With the clearing of the camp comes the demise of a politically potent symbol. But for many of the migrants squatting there, their departure is just the next chapter. And as has been the case throughout Europe’s refugee crisis, a flurry of tech innovations have sprung up to lend a hand to people who make long and perilous voyages into unknown countries that receive them uneasily or with outright hostility.

Bethan McKernan I Independent I 
October 25, 2016

Israeli authorities are pressuring social media companies to do more to remove posts which could incite violence, including drafting laws - which digital rights groups say would be unworkable - to compel platforms to take down content that could incite violence. 

Yomi Kazeem I Quartz Africa 
October 25, 2016

Despite ultimately futile efforts to pass a bill that was seen as a pretext to censor Nigerians on social media, lawmakers in Nigeria are now taking advantage of the popularity of social media platforms by live-streaming its plenary sessions on Facebook to connect with more citizens.

Patrick Meier, PhD iRevolutions 
October 26, 2016

Media companies like AFP, CNN and others are increasingly capturing dramatic aerial footage with small drones (UAVs) following major disasters around the world. These companies can be part of the solution when it comes to adding value to humanitarian efforts on the ground. But they can also be a part of the problem.

To Map Crisis Zones, Humanitarian Groups Turn to the Crowd
Natasha Balwit CityLab
October 26, 2016

The MapSwipe app’s primary purpose is to make detailed and useful maps for humanitarian organizations, but it allows users to provides a service to the users, too. Beyond entertainment, it offers a window into the world, and encourages exploration and engagement with foreign and unknown landscapes.

The great Brexit text mess: how Boris, Gove and co waged war by phone
Chitra Ramaswamy I Guardian 
October 24, 2016

Many of the extraordinary political machinations that followed the Brexit vote were reportedly organised – or scuppered – by text messages between top officials including Boris Johnson, David Cameron, Michael Gove, Andrea Leadsom, Nick Boles, Craig Oliver, and Lucy Thomas.

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Arik Segal
Young Leaders Online Academy

Arik Segal is an internationally recognized conflict management expert who specializes in using social media to facilitate online “People to People” dialogues to promote peace. Through his work with the YALA Young Leaders Online Academy, Arik developed a unique, bottom-up approach to engaging youth in constructive dialogue around the Israeli-Palestinian conflict through Facebook. His method involved first exposing youth to harsh or controversial material to spark discussion, then increasing cognitive capacity through conversations about shared interests and moving on from the past to future. The last phase of the moderated interactions involved creating joint projects between participants in the dialogue. The Facebook discussion was part of a larger program consisting of online courses in conflict management, a joint workshop on negotiation, and a seminar in which participants were invited to face-to-face discussions in Jordan.

Through his work with international organizations, institutions, and NGOs, including the U.S. Embassy in Tel Aviv, Search for Common Ground, and the Peres Center for Peace, Arik Segal has learned there is a need for innovative thinking and  new tools that can improve the strategies commonly used to manage conflicts, and believes that using online platforms as complementary elements in dialogue projects helps overcome many of the common challenges we face (power imbalance, continuation and impact, effective recruitment), while also providing a new method for performing evaluations. Currently, Arik is exploring more ways to apply technology in peacebuilding, including how to connect peace projects to the "Internet of Everything". He believes that once a peaceful idea is resonant in information, processes, things, and people, reaching new levels of impact and conflict resolution will be possible.

PeaceTech Commentary

PeaceTech Lab staff provide analysis on an important trend in the news.
Competition funds tech innovations to help refugees
Najat Shana I SciDev Net I October 31, 2016

With the worsening crisis, and the failure of governments around the world to find solutions to the situation, it's necessary to create solutions that meet the basic needs of the refugees to live with dignity and safety.

Read any good news stories about refugees lately? I didn’t think so. 

Which makes this article about a competition last month for tech that serves the refugee community all the more wonderful. The innovations themselves are as needed as they are inspiring, enabling refugees to work, to be healthy, and to live with dignity despite their circumstances. 

Leveraging the power of tech to save lives is the entire focus of our work in the PeaceTech Lab, so you can imagine how gratifying it was to read about this initiative. But you know what else excited me about this article? Seeing the sponsors of the competition. This was a robust public-private partnership between MIT Enterprise Forum, Zain Group, MBC Hope, UNHCR, UNICEF, Jusoor, and Uber! 

This, I believe, can be our future -- innovations in peacetech powered by companies, foundations, government, and academia. Let’s get started!
 

Commentary by Sheldon Himelfarb | President & CEO | PeaceTech Lab

PeaceTech News Roundup

This week's compilation of the most important news stories highlighting the role of technology, media, and data in conflict zones. 
Native Americans Are Resisting the Dakota Pipeline With Tech and Media Savvy
Paul Spencer I Motherboard 
October 29, 2016

Activists and tribal members are racing to release new footage of the protests against a controversial four-state oil pipeline from North Dakota to Indiana. They can’t get solid reception at Highway 1806, the site of the protests, in North Dakota, so they’re exploring various forms of technology and media to upload content.

Aid’s cash revolution: a numbers game
Ben Parker I IRIN News 
November 2, 2016

Over the next few weeks, a range of refugee benefits will be merged onto a single bank card, as this data-intensive aid operation bets big on cash and consolidation. UNHCR is hoping that unified cash-based systems like this pilot project in Lebanon might revolutionise the piecemeal way in which aid is currently delivered.

Five ways reporters have used chat apps to cover political unrest
Valerie Belair-Gagnon I Tow Center
November 1, 2016

Chat apps have become essential links between participants in newsworthy events and reporters covering those events. Because political activists often communicate via groups on chat app, journalists have been able to cultivate sources and gather news by gaining access to those conversations some private and other public.

What social media posts tell us about the politics of the refugee crisis
Chris Tenove & Alexandra Siegel I 
OpenCanada 
October 28, 2016

Our data suggests that in the Arabic-speaking region of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) there is a great deal of humanitarian concern for refugees, little fear-mongering toward them, and significant agreement that regional governments can and should take significant responsibility.

Belarus: Equal media access denied to opposition candidates during election
Volha Siakhovich I Index I 
November 2, 2016

Opposition candidates faced arbitrary bans and censorship in publishing their “election programmes”, which lay out their platforms. Under Belarusian law, state-run media outlets should give an equal opportunity to all candidates to publish their programmes, but editors of state-run media refused to publish some which contained criticism of the authorities.

Turkish journalists face abuse and threats online as trolls step up attacks
Maeve Shearlaw I The Guardian 
November 1, 2016

Away from shuttered news rooms and busy police stations, trolls have intensified a campaign to intimidate journalists online, hacking social media accounts, threatening physical and sexual abuse, and orchestrating “virtual lynch mobs” of pro-government voices to silence criticism.

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Planet Labs

Planet Labs is a California-based aerospace company that designs, builds, and operates the world’s largest fleet of Earth imaging satellites. Planet Labs was founded in 2011 by a team of ex-NASA scientists, and has designed, built, launched, and operated over 100 small satellites with the objective of having 120 satellites in orbit by the end of the year, collecting the entire land mass of the Earth every day.

Whether it's improving humanitarian response with real-time imagery and damage assessments after a disaster, or improving pre-disaster preparedness, Planet is working to empower new paradigms of planetary stewardship. Planet is working with a growing network of international agencies, scientists, NGOs and social innovators to develop new, scalable, and inclusive new approaches to humanitarian challenges. Most recently, Planet utilized its technology to create maps of the aftermath of the Nepal Earthquake. Planet's imagery successfully helped identify two towns that were previously not accounted for in Nepal's infrastructure.

Together, Planet and the PeaceTech Lab are working to bring transparency to some of the most remote regions of the world that are facing humanity’s greatest challenges. Planet’s satellite imagery data will help PeaceTech Lab and its collaborators around the world address region-specific issues from identifying missing people in conflict areas, to tracking the movement of extremist groups, to encouraging government accountability on public construction projects.

PeaceTech Commentary

PeaceTech Lab staff provide analysis on an important trend in the news.
This Election Violates Everything We Thought We Knew About Data
David Karpf I Back Channel I November 7, 2016

We have all been convinced that American political campaigns are trending toward better data. And yet, here we are. Is our system broken?

As this article points out, the U.S. presidential election has given us plenty of reason to question the efficacy of data-driven campaigns. The two main candidates had widely different approaches: Clinton incorporated data into nearly every aspect of her campaign; Trump used mass audience reactions to test his message. Major news outlets and experts modeled a win for Clinton using data analytics. Trump’s win defied predictions and introduced important questions about the confidence we place in data.

At the Lab, we are mindful of this balance as we build a data-driven approach to peacebuilding. From this work, we know that in order to predict and analyze the potential for violence, it is necessary to understand what matters for those affected communities. Although the outcome of this election shed light on the many limitations of data, it also reinforced the importance of including conflict-affected communities in decision making. The Everyday Peace Indicators project has developed an approach to generate citizen-driven indicators of peace, and provides a valuable resource for those working to understand social and political dynamics. A similar localized approach may improve how data is used in future elections.

Commentary by Giselle Lopez | Senior Specialist | PeaceTech Lab

PeaceTech News Roundup

This week's compilation of the most important news stories highlighting the role of technology, media, and data in conflict zones. 
Kenyan crowdsourcing site invites reports of US election irregularities
Murithi Mutiga I The Guardian I
November 4, 2016

A Kenyan crowdsourcing platform used to monitor violence during the country’s 2007 election will be deployed on voting day in the US to allow citizens to report cases of “voter intimidation, misdirection, or any other attempts to keep someone from voting”.

How Facebook is Transforming Disaster Response
Cade Metz Wired November 10, 2016

According to Patrick Meier, an expert on humanitarian crises and technology, Facebook's Safety Check  tool has already come to serve a fundamental need in disaster zones—giving people answers about the specific individuals they care about in a mass event—at a scale and speed that was never possible before. But Facebook is getting ready to turn Safety Check into something much bigger.

How newsrooms can overcome Turkey shutting down social media
Chris Michaels I Mashable I 
November 5, 2016

With word of a new coup or unrest, news bureaus often have to scramble to send their field reporters to cover the action—and in some cases, by the time they get boots on the ground the presiding government may have shut down the communications infrastructure, making it difficult to broadcast or upload footage without a satellite connection. 

Myanmar freedom of speech under threat amid Rakhine violence
Simon Lewis Reuters 
November 4, 2016

Human rights monitors have raised concerns about press freedom in Myanmar after a journalist at an English-language newspaper said she was fired following government criticism of her reporting of allegations of rape by soldiers.

A young generation leads a citizen movement in Colombia after peace deal rejected
Fernanda Sánchez Jaramillo I Miami Herald November 9, 2016

Members of Peace on the Street and other similar groups have found their voices after the rejection of the peace accord. In addition to their various ways of mobilization, social media has been utilized to easily communicate among groups and to engage people in searching for peaceful paths to end violence and war in Colombia.

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Divided Community Project Social Media Summit
Columbus, Ohio 

The Divided Community Project is an initiative hosted at The Ohio State University that aims to strengthen efforts to transform conflict among divided communities in the U.S. The project has worked to establish pilot programs, design and implement dispute resolution processes, and develop conflict assessment tools and approaches that can effectively build resilience and trust at the community level. Their website provides resources such as “Key Considerations for Community Leaders Facing Civil Unrest” and a step-by-step toolkit for “Planning in Advance of Civil Unrest.”

On November 3, the Divided Community Project invited PeaceTech Lab to participate in their Social Media Summit, which was designed to discuss issues faced by leaders in divided communities, ideas for enhancing trust and resilience, and ways in which social media can hinder or facilitate this work. It spurred a range of conversations on challenges, including how social media can foment unrest through the spread of misinformation and raise the scope of an issue to national media, making it difficult to address issues through community efforts. Participants also discussed how leaders can use social media in proactive ways for their engagement and response strategies in order to engage the right stakeholders and understand different perspectives surrounding major issues. Overall, the event was a reminder of the important work being done to transform conflict in communities worldwide as well as the potential for technology to support - rather than impede - these efforts.

PeaceTech Commentary

PeaceTech Lab staff provide analysis on an important trend in the news.
Virtual reality game puts players in disaster driving seat
Laurie Goering I Thomson Reuters Foundation I November 12, 2016

Based on three years of real hydrological data from the tiny flood-prone West African nation, the virtual game experience aims to help users get a sense of how hard decision-making can be – and suggests how creating better prediction models and pre-authorising aid might save money, time and lives.

One of the fascinating things about games for education is the way that they can be used to promote learning. Traditional learning experiences often ask the user to acquire knowledge through rote memorization. Games, done right, can expand upon this form of learning through an interactive experience, one where success requires not just the acquisition of facts, but an understanding of how facts relate to one another. The above article demonstrates how someone can better understand the tasks and challenges for a decisionmaker in a disaster situation - how to weigh resources and risk in a complex environment and come to an effective conclusion. What complicated peace-relevant situations could be simulated through gameplay? Staffing a checkpoint? Running an election monitoring campaign? Providing aid in a refugee camp? Peacebuilders should be examining what aspects of their own field can be turned into a learning experience for others.

Commentary by Derek Caelin | Specialist | PeaceTech Lab

PeaceTech News Roundup

This week's compilation of the most important news stories highlighting the role of technology, media, and data in conflict zones. 
Facebook creates Community Help tool so users can aid each other after disasters
Matt Petronzio I Mashable 
November 17, 2016

The social media company has created Community Help, a new tool tied to the Safety Check feature that lets users ask for and offer help after marking themselves safe during a crisis. Facebook announced the tool at its first Social Good Forum in New York on Thursday.

Twitter suspends American far-right activists' accounts
Alex Hern I The Guardian 
November 16, 2016

The move came the same day that Twitter announced a new push against hate speech and harassment on the site. The company announced new features to allow users to control what content appears in their notifications, as well as confirming a change to its training process for moderators on the site, and a new set of tools for reporting hate speech.

Teenage girls to launch Africa's first private space satellite
Nosmot Gbadamosi I CNN I
November 15, 2016

In May 2017, South Africa will launch the continent's first private satellite into space. It's been designed by school girls, within a STEM program. It's part of a project by South Africa's Meta Economic Development Organization (MEDO) working with Morehead State University in the US.

From immersion, to empathy, to action: is VR a game-changer for communicating development?
Tom Perry World Bank 
November 10, 2016

VR and immersive 360-degree storytelling provides a way to cut out the noise and put consumers closer to reality on the ground in some of the world’s toughest and most extraordinary places than they’re ever likely to have the opportunity to do. VR’s impact has the potential to be life-changing.

Internet Freedom Wanes As Governments Target Messaging, Social Apps
Alina Selyukh NPR 
November 14, 2016

For decades Freedom House has been ranking the world on free speech, political and civil rights.  And for the sixth consecutive year, it has found Internet freedom on a decline. Over the past year, the pressure fell increasingly on social media and messaging tools, often to quash protests or dissent

From Hate Speech To Fake News: The Content Crisis Facing Mark Zuckerberg
Aarti Shahani I NPR I 
November 17, 2016

Several current and former Facebook employees tell NPR there is a lot of internal turmoil about how the platform does and doesn't censor content that users find offensive. And outside Facebook, the public is regularly confounded by the company's decisions — around controversial posts and around fake news.

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Asia Foundation’s Violent Incidents Monitoring Systems: A Methods Toolkit

Violent Incidents Monitoring Systems: A Methods Toolkit provides guidance to practitioners interested in establishing a violence monitoring system. It encourages standardization across systems to make cross-country comparison easier. The guidance draws on lessons from three existing Southeast Asian violence monitoring systems: Thailand’s Deep South Incident Database implemented by Deep South Watch, the Philippines’ Bangsamoro Conflict Monitoring System, and Indonesia’s National Violence Monitoring System.

The toolkit is also meant to inform organizations involved in policy-making or development programming. This may include government officials, development agency staff, as well as civil society organizations and research centers. It should be used to complement regional or global violence datasets, which tend to focus on high-profile violent events and rely mainly on national and international sources.

The Toolkit was produced as part of the Cross Regional Violence Monitoring Knowledge Exchange (CRVME) project, which aims to foster knowledge exchange among violence monitoring systems in Asia, and disseminate lessons learned in the region and beyond. The CRVME is implemented by The Asia Foundation and made possible by the World Bank, Canada’s International Development Research Centre (IDRC), and the UK Department for International Development (DFID). 

PeaceTech Commentary

PeaceTech Lab staff provide analysis on an important trend in the news.

“It is a matter of ownership, of identity and of sovereignty,” said Mo Ibrahim, the foundation’s founder. “Without sound national data, there is no way you can define adequate public policies nor measure their outcomes.”

Knowledge is power, and data is both. Projects like those in the article show that we can do more to share information between data gatherers and the people data is gathered from. This has the potential to inform and inspire local leaders to better tackle their communities’ problems. And that’s just a start.

Beyond opening up reports and studies, we also should open up the the wealth of new unstructured data. Advertisers already use social media analytics to study trends, don’t we want the same tools for peacebuilders? And what data and insights are we missing? We also want to look at ways to make the tools for gathering and analyzing data more accessible. That way people have the opportunity to pursue their own lines of inquiry and derive their own insight. Finally, how do we coordinate these projects into a larger community so that data is shared with the most people for the most good?

The data is here - it's just not widely distributed yet, to paraphrase William Gibson. Think of the possibilities once it is. 
 

Commentary by John Pope | Special Assistant to the President | PeaceTech Lab

PeaceTech News Roundup

This week's compilation of the most important news stories highlighting the role of technology, media, and data in conflict zones. 
Twitter says it will ban Trump if he breaks hate-speech rules
Michael J. Coren I Quartz I 
November 30, 2016

“The Twitter Rules prohibit violent threats, harassment, hateful conduct, and multiple account abuse, and we will take action on accounts violating those policies,” a spokesperson wrote. Twitter confirmed that everyone, including government officials, were subject to the policy: “The Twitter Rules apply to all accounts,” a spokesman wrote.

Inside a virtual war: can video games recreate life in a conflict-ridden city?
Jordan Erica Webber I The Guardian 
November 29, 2016

This War of Mine follows civilians trying to survive in a war-torn city, telling a story that’s become increasingly poignant amid the current refugee crisis. “Games have one advantage on movies or books,” says Maciej Sułecki, a game designer, “because games show us the perspective of these people.”

How we can use 'peace data' to stop extremism before it starts
Mina Chang I The Hill 
November 30, 2016

Identifying community vulnerabilities prior to a collapse or an infiltration by an extremist group can either weaken recruiting success or curtail it altogether. Focusing on genuine, measured needs instead of loosely perceived issues helps effectively tailor aid efforts and increase their likelihood of success.

Free speech becomes a talking point in Sierra Leone as WhatsApp storm rages
Cooper Inveen I The Guardian I
November 24, 2016

Theresa Mbomaya, was arrested on November 16th for forwarding a message in a student WhatsApp group that, while promoting a forthcoming demonstration, also implied that any vehicle trying to disrupt it could be set on fire. Her arrest and detainment has become a focal point for unrest about expressive freedom in Sierra Leone.

Facebook Removes 'Jews Among Us' Map After Outcry in Germany
Jeff John Roberts Fortune 
November 29, 2016

The image was posted on Facebook by a Neo-Nazi group to mark the 78th anniversary of a night of anti-Semitic violence known as the Kristallnacht. The appearance of the map soon led to threats against a Berlin man whose restaurant appeared on it. He received anonymous calls saying “I hate Jews.”

An innovative approach to the procurement of 'innovative' large scale educational technology programs?
Michael Trucano I World Bank Blog November  28, 2016

Technology changes quickly, and procurement guidelines originally designed to meet the needs of 20th century schooling (with a focus on school construction, for example, and the procurement of textbooks) may be inadequate when trying to operate in today's fast-changing technology environments.

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EmergencyBnB

EmergencyBnB is a home-sharing service that matches refugees and survivors of domestic abuse with temporary hosts in their home communities. Described as more “Uber” than “AirBnb,” a person in need of emergency shelter issues a request that is sent to multiple hosts based on geographic proximity. Hosts (fondly known as #EmergencyBnBHeroes) have the option to accept or reject requests and rate guests based on their experiences.

The idea for EmergencyBnB started in 2015 when Founder Amr Arafa, like many others, witnessed the horror of the Syrian Refugee Crisis and felt compelled to help. A Harvard Graduate with a background in computer science, he listed his apartment on AirBnb as “Free for Refugees & Bernie Sanders” while simultaneously building a separate platform designed for emergencies. His experience as an AirBnB host influenced the addition of built-in safety features such as anonymous locations and emails. EmergencyBnB now features Hosts in over a dozen countries, including France, Egypt, Turkey, Germany, the U.S., and South Korea. Amr’s work has been highlighted by CNN, The Huffington Post, and The Washington Post.

PeaceTech Commentary

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The Flaw in Tech Giants' Plan to Fight Extremist Content
Patrick Tucker I Defense One I December 7, 2016

"Relying on each company to decide what is or is not 'extremist,' rather than rely on a third-party repository, will hurt the overall effectiveness," Farid said. “This is a consortium in the loosest sense possible…It’s a bit of a hodgepodge.”

Facebook, Twitter, Microsoft, and Google announced they would join forces in the fight against extremist online content by filtering out "dangerous" images stored in a mutual database of manually tagged content. This technique, which has proven effective in the fight against child pornography, is nonetheless eliciting skeptism from the software's creator, Hany Farid. Farid argues that unlike efforts to wipe out child pornography, which is monitored by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, the tech giants lack a unified standard of what constitutes "jihadist imagery," and have no oversight or accountability mechanism.

Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart once famously said "I'll know it when I see it" when asked to define pornography in the landmark Jacobellis v. Ohio case. What we at the Lab have discovered through social media analysis on hate speech is that contrary to the "in your face" nature of most undesirable online content, the types of images and messages likely to incite direct attacks are more subtle, often using coded language or symbolism. It takes deep local knowledge and context to truly understand these nuances. That's why our work will continue to focus on connecting technologists with peacebuilders on the ground, to fill the critical need for better two-way information sharing, and ultimately empower the people most affected by conflict to take part in the struggle against dangerous online speech.  

    
Commentary by Twila Tschan | Communications Coordinator | PeaceTech Lab

PeaceTech News Roundup

This week's compilation of the most important news stories highlighting the role of technology, media, and data in conflict zones. 
Sudanese Government Targets Activists, Stifles Media Coverage of Civil Disobedience
Afef Abrougui I 
Global Voices 
December 7, 2016

Sudanese authorities are shutting down media offices, confiscating newspapers and arresting activists and social media users in an effort to prevent coverage of three days of civil disobedience in response to massive price hikes on critical resources.

The 7 most impressive Social Good Innovations in November
Katie Dupere I Mashable I
December 2, 2016

Socially conscious inventions have a crucial impact on the world at large, but they often make the biggest difference for vulnerable communities. For people facing inequality around the globe these innovations can be game-changers, helping to tackle problems that directly threaten their survival.

This Site Lets You Donate Your Online Shopping Data to Your Favorite Nonprofit
Adele Peters I Fast Company I 
December 8, 2016

We noticed that most consumers weren’t aware they owned this information or that it could be used to their benefit," Steinberg says. "So, we started talking about finding ways to help people take ownership over their data and help them see their shopping data as a valuable resource, rather than something to be feared.

Thai PM Warns Media of Action 'Without Exception'
Wasamon Audjarint I The Jakarta Post 
December 8, 2016

Pol Maj-General Chayapon Chatchaidej said the Technology Crime Suppression Division and police from Lumpini Police Station would investigate BBC Thai’s website and consider summoning the site’s administrator, translator, editor as well as those involved in publishing the article about the Thai monarchy. 

Europe Presses American Tech Companies to Tackle Hate Speech
Mark Scott I New York TimesDecember 6, 2016

In a recent interview, Richard Allen, Facebook’s head of public policy in Europe, said that the social network was committed to tackling hate speech online, but that there was a fine line between what was legitimate under freedom of speech laws and what was required to protect people online.

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The Lab's Roundup highlighting stories on technology, media, and data in peacebuilding.
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Dear Reader, 
Thank you for another incredible year of peacetech. As 2016 draws to a close, we wish you and your families joy and peace. We look forward to January 2017 when the Roundup returns with an all-new look and fresh content ... Stay tuned!

PeaceTech In Action

Stories of peacebuilders using technology, media, and data in the field. 


South Sudan: Hate Speech Lexicon & Data Portal

Since the outbreak of violence in the world's newest country in December 2013, South Sudanese have called attention to how hate speech has inflamed further violent conflict. But what's the connection between online hate narratives and violence on the ground in South Sudan? How do we begin to understand those connections?

To address these questions, PeaceTech Lab developed a Lexicon of Hate Speech Terms, combining cutting-edge social media analysis with in-country expertise to identify both the terms likely to incite violence, and their social and political context. The Lexicon also identifies alternative language that would mitigate the impact of this speech.

The Open Situation Room Exchange (OSRx) Hate Speech Data Portal adds another layer of discovery by connecting peacebuilders with the most up-to-date terms and trends in social media, news, and resources for countering hate speech.  

PeaceTech Commentary

PeaceTech Lab staff provide analysis on an important trend in the news.
Ghana's Social Media Watchers Help to Keep the Peace in Tense Election
Billie McTernan I The Africa Report I December 9, 2016

Social media has played an important role in Ghana's campaign season. While politicians sent out through sharp tweets and trendy Instagram posts, citizens engaged in debate around the issues they care about most. “Democracy requires that citizens participate, they can do that through various options but the use of mobile phones, SMS, mobile apps and social media provide a cost-effective mechanism"

The use of social media monitoring to track electoral irregularities and instances of brewing violence around the December 7 elections in Ghana points to the growing use of multiple technologies for conflict early warning and early response. In Kenya, the Ushahidi crowd-mapping platform was used effectively to monitor violence during the 2013 electoral period (and more recently to monitor voter fraud in the United States). Mobile apps such as Open Data Kit have been used to collect valuable data on elections in countries like Afghanistan and Kenya, as well as to track and report cases of gender-based violence in India.

PeaceTech Lab is working with Mercy Corps-Kenya to train local community leaders in three Kenyan counties to utilize an SMS platform to collect information on possible violence, rumors or hate speech in advance of the 2017 elections. The community leaders will also be part of local "peace hubs' which can text messages of peace to local communities to dispel rumors and defuse tensions.

When the dynamics of democratic processes like elections threaten to erupt in violence, technology tools are often only as good as the people using them. More experimentation is needed to see how local communities in at-risk areas can use innovative ways to prevent violent conflict from taking place. 

Commentary by Theo Dolan | Director, PeaceTech Lab Africa and PeaceMedia | PeaceTech Lab

PeaceTech News Roundup

This week's compilation of the most important news stories highlighting the role of technology, media, and data in conflict zones. 
U.S. Promotes Peace through "Tech Camp"
Ben Garcia I Kuwait Times I December 12, 2016

To counter technology based terrorism, the US State Department launched the ‘TechCamp: Promoting Peace and Tolerance with Technology’ program in Kuwait for the first time. TechCamp is an initiative by the bureau of International Information Programs (IIP) at the US Department of State.

China Invents the Digital Totalitarian State
Beijing I The Economist 
December 15, 2016

Despite years of economic growth, popular discontent at widespread corruption has grown stronger. Social-credit scoring aims to change that by cracking down on the corrupt officials and companies that plague Chinese life. But it could also vastly increase snooping and social control.

Will Drones Change the Global Balance of Power?
Clifton Parker I Center for International Security and Cooperation I December 12, 2016

While we often assume that democracies crave drone technology, since it eliminates the possibility that the pilot would be killed if the aircraft is shot down, we should not forget that autocrats have their own unique reasons to seek this technology.

Turkey: Silencing the Media
Human Right Watch I December 15, 2016

“The Turkish government and president’s systematic effort to silence media in the country is all about preventing public scrutiny,” said Hugh Williamson, Europe and Central Asia director at Human Rights Watch. “Keeping 148 journalists and media workers in jail and closing down 169 media and publishing outlets under the state of emergency shows how Turkey is deliberately flouting basic principles of human rights and rule of law central to democracy.”

War, Peace, and the Technological Revolution
Bruno Siqueira I Open Democracy I December 13, 2016

The reach of new technologies is hugely impressive. In war zones virtually everyone has a telephone, can send SMS, and even access the internet or a hotspot (though there are often dangerous forms of surveillance that need to be recognised). Almost everyone also uses social media and communicates in real time with families and friends.   

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The Lab's Roundup highlighting stories on technology, media, and data in peacebuilding.
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WEEKLY ROUNDUP

Working for individuals and communities affected by conflict, using technology, media, & data to accelerate local peacebuilding efforts. 

PeaceTech Pulse

What we're listening to, reading, watching, and following this week.

As Kenya draws closer to the general elections scheduled to take place in August 2017, tensions are brewing across the country as politicians take divisive rhetoric to their communities in countrywide campaigns. Mainstream media both local and international is playing into this rhetoric and advancing politicians’ agendas, either consciously or subconsciously, by mainly reporting on the negative aspects in the election period in Kenya that can lead to conflict.

In his book Conflict Sensitive Journalism, Ross Howard provides an idea of the situation Kenya faced regarding elections, media, and violence in 2007. I, however, believe Kenya is not out of this situation yet, and it is clear that Kenya needs conflict sensitive journalism and peacebuilders through this period. There are peacebuilders with programs that promote cohesion, national unity and positive ethnicity, though the media rarely covers them. I believe the role of the media in times like these is to not only focus on the politicians’ efforts that many times divide the electorate, but to also capture peacebuilders’ stories that offer different narratives to conflict. Rwanda and Kenya both showed how mainstream media can be used to catalyze mass violence; I believe with a peacetech industry, a different media role from that one of 2007 and 2013 can be established in Kenya during this period without curtailing the media freedoms that are essential in democracy.
 
 Caleb Gichuhi works with PeaceTech Lab on peace media programming and is based out of Nairobi, Kenya. 

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Stories from the field. 

Groundviews in Sri Lanka actively supports the use of drones in journalism. Anchored to Founding Editor Sanjana Hattotuwa’s long-standing interest in and research on the use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) in peacebuilding and peacekeeping, the emphasis in training around the use of drones is on ethics and the privacy of individuals.
 
Drone journalism in Sri Lanka and other regions is increasing capacity for documenting hard to capture events such as severe drought, evictions due to urban developmentprotests, and evidence of corruption. Sanjana writes that using drones for journalism helps counter, “historical narratives written solely by those in power,” and can be a method for individuals and small organizations to hold governing bodies accountable.
 
Groundviews’ workshops for journalists, activists, hobbyists and commercial drone operators focus on how new perspectives from the air can bear witness to these often hidden issues. In January 2017, Groundviews led a groundbreaking workshop facilitated by the Government Information Department and the Civil Aviation Authority of Sri Lanka. Around 30 members of mainstream media, including private TV stations, photographers, and drone re-sellers participated in the full day workshop that included a practical session for those who had never handled or flown a drone. 

In the News

How artificial intelligence can be used to predict Africa’s next migration crisis

 
Instability and the likelihood of mass migration can be predicted through artificial intelligence. Software can measure areas of volatility in a nation and suggest possible remedies to avoid a crisis.

17 in 17: Partnerships for the Sustainable Development Goals

 
Lab member Twila Tschan writes that focusing on "Partnerships for the Sustainable Development Goals" in 2017 is critical to achieving the long-term vision of the United Nations.

Sawa Shabab (Together Youth) Returns to the Radio in South Sudan

 
PRWeb reports on the return of South Sudanese radio drama, Sawa Shabab, for its third season. Sawa Shabab is produced by Ammalna in partnership with PeaceTech Lab and the United States Institute of Peace.

How a U.S. team uses Facebook, guerrilla marketing to peel off potential ISIS recruits

 
The U.S. Department of State has taken on a new campaign involving ads depicting the cruel realities of the Islamic State to counter recruitment via social media. 

#PeaceTechDataViz

 

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We compiled data on the use of technology in Central America in preparation for our PeaceTech Exchange in Costa Rica this week. The theme of this exchange is "technology for transparency and accountability". To measure voice and accountability we used an index from the World Bank which considers factors like citizen participation in electing officials, freedom of expression, freedom of association, and free media. -2.5 indicates weak voice and accountability while 2.5 indicates strong voice and accountability.
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Working for individuals and communities affected by conflict, using technology, media, & data to accelerate local peacebuilding efforts. 

PeaceTech Pulse

What we're listening to, reading, watching, and following this week.

I attended the Creative Time Summit this past year where I learned about SouriaLi  an open source radio that shares the stories of Syrians who have fled the Syrian Civil War. The radio focuses on art, culture, stories, and politics. These different narratives end up being turned into drama and talk shows for their entire viewership to listen or watch. They are trying to reach all Syrians, regardless of religious or sectarian criteria by having a collective and collaborative story base. 

In essence, SouriaLi is creating a community for the Syrians who have fled their homes and this is critical because it works towards fostering or sustaining a connection with their homeland. These collective stories intend to provide a peace-building community, where individuals, no matter where they are, can collaborate to create a massive and scalable network. SouriaLi, to me, is incredibly important as it aims to give Syrians a voice they so desperately need at this stage. Having done work with Syrian refugees, I get to hear their narratives in a much different way than portrayed, in not only the media, but also within the non-profit and social sector. Providing Syrians with an open-sourced outlet to voice their opinions, attitudes, and creative drive will give them an integral opportunity to share their stories— which I think is important for everyone to hear.
 
Maen Hammad works at the PeaceTech Lab as part of the Business Development Team. 

#PeaceTechDataViz

 

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The Lab collaborated with Esri Story Maps to create an interactive map of global terrorist attacks in the year 2016. We used crowdsourced data from Wikipedia that has been revised by experts in the field. The map allows viewers to search attacks based on perpetrator groups and provides additional information on each specific attack. It also serves as an effective visualization tool to remind viewers about the frequent terrorist attacks endured by many countries who do not receive significant Western media attention such as Nigeria, Yemen, Somalia, and Bangladesh. 

PeaceTech in Action

Stories from the field. 

40% of Foreign Service personnel who work at posts where they are exposed to traumatic events (including assault, war, violence, or injury) experience intrusive symptoms of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), according to the State Department’s Bureau of Medical Services report. In response, the Resilience Hub for Frontline Civilians provides anonymous online training, education, self-assessments, and activities on building resilience and preventing or recovering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. These materials can be used individually or within a community, before, during, and after high-stress incidents. The resources make it easier to recover after difficulties that are bound to happen throughout a career in peacebuilding, diplomacy and international development.

After extensive research, the International Peace and Security Institute at Creative Learning created an online portal where frontline civilians can work on their resilience in an environment that is free from stigmatization or fear of negative professional consequences.

The Resilience Hub’s resources include online training for both resilience and trauma. Each training module has an education and self-assessment component.  Although PTSD has always been a problem for peacebuilders in conflict zones, there are limited resources devoted to address it. The Resilience Hub is on the forefront of mitigating a significant issue facing professionals in diplomacy and conflict resolution.

In the News

Here’s Why Microsoft President Wants a Digital Geneva Convention


Microsoft's new president believes that the technology industry has a primary role in protecting the digital rights of civilians against government hacking 

Urban Technical Extension: Recognizing needs in our own backyard


Lab co-op, Bryce Peckman, describes the potential in public-private partnerships between universities and their local communities. She cites Drexel University's development of a web-based application for streamlining the work of a Philadelphia food pantry as a primary example.

South Sudan's youth bridge gaps through radio


Aljazeera discusses the importance of radio in South Sudan as a primary form of communication and an effective means of bringing people together through shows like Sawa Shabab.

CNN en Español kicked off air in Venezuela


CNN en Español's signal was pulled in Venezuela after they began airing a controversial story alleging that visas and passports were issued to individuals who had ties to terrorism.

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WEEKLY ROUNDUP

Working for individuals and communities affected by conflict, using technology, media, & data to accelerate local peacebuilding efforts. 

PeaceTech Pulse

What we're listening to, reading, watching, and following this week.

Over the past few months, practitioners in technology for development and peacebuilding have recognized similarities in some of the challenges they see in the U.S. and those they have addressed through their work abroad. However, many are unsure how best to apply their experience and expertise in the U.S. context, and many also recognize that technology – particularly social media – has itself driven many of the divisions we see in the country today. 
Despite this fact, there are initiatives in the U.S. that could benefit from this community’s expertise in applying technology to support development and peacebuilding worldwide. At a Tech Salon I participated in on February 3, practitioners in DC began exploring this exact topic.

During the Tech Salon, we explored some of the sources of tension and division in the U.S. that are relevant for our work, including trends toward “tribalism”, information silos, economic insecurity, and unequal access to infrastructure and basic services. We also discussed how locally driven approaches in Kenya and Myanmar to prevent violence and address tensions can provide a useful framework for applying technology to address tensions between communities in the U.S. While there are many opportunities for peacetech practitioners to apply their experience in the U.S., as some pointed out, whether we work in Baltimore or Nairobi it is important to work at the local level and develop solutions that apply technology to specific contextual issues. By applying our expertise and lessons learned, the peacetech community can be a potentially powerful ally for transforming drivers of conflict and tension in the U.S. 

Tech Salon events span the globe. Find one near you, or start your own at: http://technologysalon.org/ 
 
Commentary by Giselle Lopez | PeaceTech Lab Senior Specialist | PeaceTech Lab

#PeaceTechDataViz

 

News Analytics Instability Timeline in Syria

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The PeaceTech Lab's Open Situation Room Exchange (OSRx) provides an open source of global conflict and instability real-time data from social media and news. The OSRx News Analytics Instability Timeline for Syria shows a decrease in instability throughout February. The Y-axis is the percent of all events monitored worldwide that are identified as conflict events for Syria. The line chart depicts the density of conflict events for Syria as a percentage of all news reports. The UN-sponsored peace talks between the Syrian government and the opposition may explain the recent  trend toward news stabilization. 

PeaceTech in Action

Stories from the field. 

After finishing her Master’s Degree in International Affairs at Columbia, Aline Sara was looking for ways to improve her Arabic dialect in preparation for humanitarian work, but knew the cost of private tutoring in New York City would be prohibitive.
 
That’s when she came up with the idea for NaTakallam, a social venture that connects Syrian refugees with Arabic learners worldwide for language practice over Skype. The platform caters to students in need of affordable and flexible Arabic practice and direct access to native speakers, while providing displaced Syrians with a source of income, marketable skills, and an enriching work opportunity.

To date, some 50 Syrian conversation partners and over 1,200 individuals in more than 60 countries have engaged in more than 10,000 hours of NaTakallam sessions. Since starting in August 2015, displaced people have self-generated over $75,000 through their work with NaTakallam. The self-generated revenue empowers refugees who would otherwise be passive recipients of aid. NaTakallam instructors contribute to their host country’s economy by spending their earned income.
 
Furthermore, NaTakallam fosters cross-cultural understanding. The operations team pairs instructors and students based on shared interests with the purpose of creating relationships. NaTakallam has found a unique way to use Skype as a platform for both language and culture dissemination while providing empowering work opportunities to refugees.
 
NaTakallam is open to students of all ages and proficiency levels, including those with no prior experience in Arabic. New students can easily sign-up from their computer.

In the News

Terrorists are building drones. France is destroying them with eagles.


Eagles are effective at capturing drones given their natural hunting abilities. France has trained eagles to seize drones as a safer alternative to shooting them down.

Check Out Alphabet’s New Tool to Weed Out the ‘Toxic’ Abuse of Online Comments


A think tank at Google has developed an artificial intelligence tool that moderates online discussions to determine its levels of "toxicity". The tool is meant to keep conversations respectful and substantive.

Russian military admits significant cyber-war effort


Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu confirms the use of "information troops" for propaganda. The attacks have included targeting NATO soldiers via their personal social media profiles.

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The Lab's Roundup highlighting stories on technology, media, and data in peacebuilding.
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WEEKLY ROUNDUP

Working for individuals and communities affected by conflict, using technology, media, & data to accelerate local peacebuilding efforts. 

PeaceTech Pulse

What we're listening to, reading, watching, and following this week.

Few technologies have excited as much interest among peacebuilders in the past year as virtual reality, with mid-tier headsets such as the Google Daydream and the Samsung Gear VR joining the panoply of cardboard viewers  and high performance headsets. As VR headsets proliferate, so too have the journalists, media, nonprofits, universities, and game developers seeking to create meaningful, shaping experiences for consumers. Peacebuilders have taken notice, too. Some have taken to calling virtual reality “the ultimate empathy machine.”  

The linked article cautions people against relying on virtual reality to generate empathy, challenging “VR empathy-building experiences” as brief and ultimately superficial compared with experiences gained through books. The criticism is worth reading, even for those (myself included) who believe in virtual reality’s potential. As a new medium, VR experiences are now sought out at least in part for the novelty they represent and many virtual reality movies and games rely heavily on techniques belonging to more traditional media. To create meaningful impact, designers will need to craft experiences (both static and interactive) that tap into VR’s unique ability to strip away reality and immerse the viewer.

Brief, powerful experiences will soon be joined by longer, more subtle experiences that allow the user to internalize a message. Linear videos may be accompanied by interactive experiences in which the viewer becomes a part of the narrative she is experiencing and engages with it as a participant. As the opportunity to experience VR expands, the field will mature so that yet another powerful media tool can be added to the toolbox of peacebuilders.

Commentary by Derek Caelin | PeaceTech Lab Specialist | PeaceTech Lab

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PeaceTech in Action

Stories from the field. 

Insight on Conflict is a resource published by Peace Direct to support and showcase the work of local peacebuilders around the world. Local peacebuilders make a real impact in conflict areas; however, their work is often ignored – either because people aren’t aware of the existence and importance of local peacebuilders in general or because they haven’t had access to their information and contacts. Insight on Conflict helps redress the balance.

Peace Direct’s network of Local Peace Experts identifies and verifies the work of local peacebuilders in over 40 conflict areas. With a total of 1,462 local peacebuilding organizations profiled, Insight on Conflict is the only online presence for approximately one third of the organizations featured.

Peace Direct provides additional support to local peacebuilders through a monthly newsletter which includes funding opportunities and relevant research. The organizations featured in Insight on Conflict are also brought together to collaborate and share their experiences through in-country “Peace Exchanges”. Peace Direct is exploring ways to hold similar events online.

The site is currently being redeveloped with new ways of visualizing the information collected on local peacebuilding which will allow site visitors to explore the relationship between peace activities and conflict. Peace Direct hopes to publish these changes in the spring.

In the News

Here’s how mobile technology is saving Africans from humanitarian disasters


The increase in phone users in Africa has led to quicker and more effective disaster responses for both natural catastrophes and internal conflict.

Tunisian entrepreneurs get powerful ally in D.C. startup


Affinis Labs is looking to bridge the technology gap that exists between developed and developing countries by coaching entrepreneurs. The next workshop is hoped to be held in a country that was included in Trump's travel ban.

How the Secret Service Protects the President Against New Cyber Threats


As the world become increasingly digitized, Secret Service Agents adapt by securing common objects that connect to the internet which are susceptible to hacking.

Cambodian Government Cites Trump in Threatening Foreign News Outlets


Foreign news groups like Voice of America and Radio Free Asia were warned by a government spokesperson to stop publishing stories that threaten the peace and stability of Cambodia.

#PeaceTechDataViz

 

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While commemorating Women's History Month this March, it is important to recognize the great strides that women have taken to close the gender gap while also recognizing the areas that need improvement. The World Economic Forum released The Global Gender Gap Report for 2016 which aims to measure gender inequality across key areas. The Political Empowerment sub-index reveals a significant gap between male and female political leaders across the world. This disparity must be addressed in order to establish a more democratic world with sustainable peace.
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Working for individuals and communities affected by conflict, using technology, media, & data to accelerate local peacebuilding efforts. 

PeaceTech Pulse

What we're listening to, reading, watching, and following this week.

It may seem strange that a book dedicated to training warriors would inform my understanding of peacetech. That said, Karl Marlantes’s What It Is Like to Go to War is on the U.S. Marine Corps Commandant’s Professional Reading List, and should be required reading for anyone wishing to understand the evolving nature of conflict and the role technology plays in blurring the lines between war and “everyday life.”

Marlantes notes: “Today a soldier can go out on patrol and kill someone or have one of his friends killed and call his girlfriend on his cell phone that night... by conscious well-intended efforts to provide ‘all the comforts of home’ and modern transportation and communication, what chance does your average eighteen-year-old have of not becoming confused?”

As a peacebuilder, I often think about this phenomenon in reverse. What about the confusion experienced by youth who have only known their neighborhoods to be conflict zones? How do they cope with the glimpses of “stable societies” afforded by the proliferation of internet, mobile phones, and social media? Does this spur them to commit further acts of violence or build peace?

At PeaceTech Lab, we work with people every day for whom this blurring of realities is the norm. Through programs like Salam Shabab in Iraq, Sawa Shabab in South Sudan, and PeaceTech Exchanges worldwide, we strive to turn the same tools used to amplify violence into platforms for peace.

Commentary by Twila Tschan | Communications Coordinator | PeaceTech Lab

#PeaceTechDataViz

 

Physical Security of Women

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The PeaceTech Lab's Open Situation Room Exchange (OSRx) contains open sourced data on state fragility. One of the indicators used to measure state fragility is the physical security of women. The lighter colored countries on the map represent nations where women have greater physical security whereas the red countries represent areas with higher levels of insecurity. Sexual assault, murder rates, sex trafficking of females, and suicide rates of women of childbearing age are some of the factors used to calculate security levels. Women's physical security must be globally addressed in order to achieve gender equality.

PeaceTech in Action

Stories from the field. 

What do Israelis and Palestinians hope for when they imagine the future of the region? The team at The Hope Map Project is going to find out. Oded Adomi Leshem, from Israel, and Obada Shtaya, from Palestine, are scholars at the George Mason University School of Conflict Analysis and Resolution, who study hopelessness as one of the drivers of conflict. In a region where fifty percent of Israelis and Palestinians believe that the conflict will last forever, Oded and Obada believe that change lies in the hands of the other hopeful fifty percent.

The Hope Map Project is a collaborative effort to measure Israelis’ and Palestinians’ hope for the future by using an extensive survey apparatus and statistical analysis. Building on the scholars’ past research, participants’ hope for peace will be assessed on cognitive, emotional and behavioral dimensions. Demographic variables will be collected to reveal the correlates of hope and hopelessness in the two societies. The project will chart the first Hope Map of Israel-Palestine, which will be available for decision-makers and the general public.

The project is currently underway but a larger sample size is still needed for greater accuracy. Oded and Obada have been financing their project through an online crowdfunding campaign which has received tremendous support. For every 15 dollars donated, the sample size is increased by an additional Palestinian and Israeli. The scholars hope that improved peacebuilding collaboration will be possible with their new information and data visualization.

In the News

Opinion: Could the entertainment industry help end child marriage?


Storytelling can be a powerful tool for shaping social norms. By creating characters and scenarios that resonate with the audience, existing opinions and norms, such as child marriage, can be challenged through curriculum-based programming.  

Why are African governments so worried by social media?


Election violence can be incited by hate speech disseminated through social media platforms. Some governments have used this as rationale to block internet access during elections.

Activists Welcome Thai Decision to Drop Charges Against Rights Report Author


Thai security forces have dropped defamation charges against three activists who released a report accusing the forces of violating the human rights of their detainees.  

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I was thrilled to see this article in the Washington Post, which shows how much progress platform companies are making in their approach to hate speech.  There are, of course, still lots of details to work out. Top of the list is making sure these methods don’t unintentionally censor people. Hate speech has its own chilling effects as it limits who joins the conversation, but this is a legitimate concern that will require some push and pull to find the right middle ground.

A less frequently discussed problem is how to use these tools in a variety of cultures and contexts. The Lab’s research on hate speech in South Sudan may provide a good example because we identified terms that would have been difficult to understand without local partners and the context they provide. For example “MTN,” a cell phone provider in the country, kept coming up as a term used to promote violence.  As we tried to understand why, our research revealed that MTN’s slogan “Everywhere you go” had inspired the term's use as a slur for the Dinka ethnic group, who had moved to new parts of the country. What's worse, it had become a signaling device to identify unprotected Dinka who may be vulnerable to attack: a “MTN with no service.” To capture such a nuanced and context-specific term, we had to do offline focus groups in-country and work with local partners. Companies and researchers will need to do the same to get a full picture.


Commentary by John Pope | Special Assistant to the President | PeaceTech Lab

#PeaceTechDataViz

 

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The World Economic Forum's project, “What Migrants Bring”, uses data to analyze the impact of migrants in their host country. Their visualizations challenge common misconceptions about migrants such as the stereotype that migrants from developing countries are unskilled. However, the data compiled for “What Migrants Bring" reveals that the majority of working-aged migrants in OECD countries are educated. Tech companies have gained substantial talent from migrants. In some Silicon Valley counties, as many as two thirds of employees in computing and mathematics were foreign-born. The tech industry relies on migration to bring together the necessary skills for innovation.

PeaceTech in Action

Stories from the field. 

Dr. Carmen Bachmann of Leipzig University in Germany sees the refugee crisis through the lens of an academic. As a professor, Dr. Bachmann recognizes there is a detrimental loss of knowledge and advancement in society when professors and students are forced to postpone their research to seek refuge. Refugees have limited resources to continue their work and many lose their knowledge due to lack of application. To address this issue, Dr. Bachmann created a tool where researchers, scientists, and students who come to Germany as refugees can find opportunities to remain engaged in their fields.

Chance for Science is an online networking platform where refugees can find libraries, relevant conferences, and connect with others in their profession. Dr. Bachmann hopes the connections made through her site will help researchers, scientists, and students stay up to date in their fields, form collaborations, and find job opportunities. The network of over 500 people consists of highly-trained refugees and German academics that want to help.

Chance for Science has been priceless for refugees who fled their country with nothing but their diploma. The site has been a way to help refugees reconnect with their former identities and contribute to society through their research. Dr. Bachmann hopes to expand Chance for Science’s capacity in the future by offering additional educational events, individual counseling, and expanding networks to other countries with high refugee populations.

In the News

Machine Learning: A New Weapon In The War Against Forced Labor And Human Trafficking


Different applications of technology like using data to track the supply chain of goods and digital analytics of online escort ads can be used to identify slavery and human trafficking

Here’s How Many Lives Drones Have Saved Since 2013


Civilian drones have played a major role in search and rescue work throughout the world. Drones have the capability of spotting victims of floods or those lost in the wilderness. 

Opinion: How digital financial services can boost government accountability


Transparency technologies like electronic tax cards can help beneficiaries of public services see where their taxes are going and provides assurance that aid is not being misappropriated. 

Vietnam Urges Firms to Stop YouTube, Facebook Ads in Protest Over ‘Fake Content’


The Vietnamese government has requested that businesses refrain from advertising on social media until they determine the source of "'toxic' anti-government information."

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Special Announcement!

Applications are currently open for our second PeaceTech Accelerator cohort through March 31. We encourage you to send us your peacetech innovation and to share the announcement with other entrepreneurs!

The PeaceTech Accelerator, created in partnership with C5 Capital Limited and Amazon Web Services, is an 8-week program that provides the mentorship and training needed to scale both for- and not-for-profit peacetech initiatives rapidly, securely, and cost-effectively. The first cohort will begin this April at our headquarters in Washington, DC. 

PeaceTech Pulse

What we're listening to, reading, watching, and following this week.

As data becomes more and more integrated with our daily lives, it’s necessary to take a pause and reflect. With data comes a type of ethos that offers to cut through rhetoric and framing to tell the accurate story. However, overconfidence in this ethos can lead to being manipulated or misinformed. In today’s data-driven age, there’s a need for increased data literacy so that individuals can draw their own conclusions, instead of automatically accepting what’s being offered to them. You might not like it, but a cornerstone of such literacy is knowledge of statistics.

Even understanding the importance, many people groan at the thought of statistics. Realizing this, there have been efforts to teach the “need to know” parts of statistics in a straightforward, groan-free way. I Hate Statistics is a Dutch startup aimed at doing just that. They offer paid online modules and other tools to educate people on the essentials for data literacy and have been featured at the UN Data Forum with the tagline “Making Statistics Sexy”.

Another favorite of mine is Seeing Theory by Daniel Kunin with the support of Brown University’s Royce Fellowship. Seeing Theory is a very smooth and streamlined interactive portal where users can learn about the fundamentals of statistics in an interesting and interactive way (plus it’s fun, try it).
 

Matt Coates is a biomedical engineering student at Drexel University, and part of the Lab’s Peace Engineering Co-Op program. Learn more about Drexel’s Masters in Peace Engineering degree here.

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PeaceTech in Action

Stories from the field. 

CyprusInno was founded on the belief that economic freedom and entrepreneurial capital are tools for peace and prosperity. Steven Stavrou, a Greek Cypriot, and Burak Doluay, a Turkish Cypriot, banded together to connect and lift Cyprus through entrepreneurship and innovation. Together, they created CyprusInno, the first bicommunal digital platform that connects Cypriot entrepreneurs, startups, and innovators.

The CyprusInno website holds the largest database of startups in Cyprus and is the first and only to include startups from both the North and South. Entrepreneurs, innovators, and investors can register to connect with each other. The site also features a startup jobs board, a comprehensive and curated calendar of business events island-wide, and a digital magazine with useful resources for Cyprus entrepreneurs, among other features.   Currently, there are over 1,100 users; a significant number considering the relatively small size of Cyprus.

CyprusInno’s model is supported by economic analysis and opinion from thought leaders that backs the benefits of a Cyprus solution. Unification is estimated to increase the GDP of the entire island, boost employment opportunities, and create growth in various sectors such as tourism, professional services, and higher education. By increasing collaboration between Greek and Turkish Cypriots, particularly entrepreneurs and innovators, the founders hope to create a path for a peaceful and prosperous nation. Burak states, “Political agreements are mostly based on economics. If we create these economic bonds between each other personally, we’re going to make it easier for leaders to prepare these kinds of relations in the future as well.”

Steven and Burak hope to expand CyprusInno’s capacity by offering mentorship, online training and education, in-person bi-communal events, and more. Furthermore, they hope the CyprusInno model can be used to address other conflict regions across the eastern Mediterranean. Stavrou states, “The premise of entrepreneurial capital and economic opportunity as peace building mechanisms is something we want to build this platform on. Business brings people together; economic opportunity brings people together; job creation brings people together.”

In the News

The EU must keep up with new technologies


Advances in technology can help citizens keep their governments accountable but it can also put activists at risk. The European Parliament is working to mitigate this problem.

More trouble for Google: Verizon and AT&T pull some Google ads as concerns mount about hate content


Verizon and AT&T have removed their advertisements from some of Google's platforms after their ads  were placed next to sites and videos that promote terrorism or hate.

Scots technology firm helps Unicef to focus refugee aid


Satellite imagery and data analytics are being used to track internally displaced people in Somalia in order to provide more effective aid.

#PeaceTechDataViz

 

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The United States Institute of Peace published Electing Peace this year which uses case studies from recent elections in Honduras, Bangladesh, Thailand, Malawi and Moldova to examine methods for preventing election violence. The graph depicts the correlation between election violence and the utilization of prevention tools  in the five countries. Negative values indicate reduction in election violence while positive values indicate a rise in election violence. According to the study, security-sector engagement and election management had the highest correlation with reduced election violence. The researchers explained the seemingly poor efficacy of peace messaging, youth programming, and preventative diplomacy with flaws in their implementation. These are longitudinal prevention tools and may effectively reduce election violence if they are introduced well before an election. 
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PeaceTech Pulse

What we're listening to, reading, watching, and following this week.

Storytelling can be a powerful tool for challenging norms and creating self-awareness of biases. The entertainment industry is full of potential for peacebuilding. Last night, I watched ABC’s show, Galavant, a satire of fairytale musicals that includes subtle social commentary. Season 2 Episode 5 revolves around a battle between the “Dwarves” and the “Giants”, two arch nemeses in the magical kingdom.  The audience is met with comedic surprise when they are introduced to the rivals: two groups of average-height men. Each party perceives their adversary as having a completely different stature but in reality, the parties struggle to identify their rivals and accidently attack their own.  The ridiculousness of their rivalry is emphasized when they ultimately decide to fight as “shirts versus skins”.

Funny? Yes, but the underlying commentary is key. It is common for humans to create misperceptions and differences amongst each other when in reality, we are ultimately the same. I thought of instances in my own life where I have been guilty of “demonizing others” who I perceived as being different than me such as those aligned with other political parties or values systems.

PeaceTech Lab’s radio drama, Sawa Shabab, uses the power of storytelling to engage youth voices, and has generated an increased belief in South Sudan that women should be educated. I, A Woman, Can Achieve Anything has tackled issues of early marriage and domestic violence in India. Whether it is a satirical musical or a curriculum-based radio drama, media can be a tool to unite communities and question assumptions.
 

Johanna Schnitzler works at the PeaceTech Lab in the Communications and Outreach Team.

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PeaceTech in Action

Stories from the field. 

Journalists and NGOs are banned from the Nuba Mountains in Sudan, making it difficult to educate the international community on the atrocities that civilians are facing there. Despite the challenge, IRIN and TFMDigital partnered to bring the Nuba Mountains to you through Besieged, a 360⁰ virtual reality experience.

IRIN and TFMDigital guided local community groups to capture footage showing the daily reality faced by civilians in the Nuba Mountains. Besieged immerses the viewer into the conflict as they see how civilians must live within the caves of the Nuba Mountains to escape bombings from government forces. Viewers are led through abandoned villages as a civilian explains that everyone had to flee their homes. The film shows how civilians are the real casualties from the government’s mission to suppress rebel forces. At one point, the viewer is placed in a crowd of civilians of all ages who are encircling a detonated bomb. A man explains, “This bomb is not made for us. Look at it. Look at us.”

Although Besieged is effective at educating the general public on the Nuba Mountains conflict, it is also useful for high-level advocacy. TFMDigital has partnered with Amnesty International to present diplomats and UN officials with the virtual reality film. The organizations hope that the immersive experience will inspire action from the UN Security Council.

In the News

Music streaming startup NicheStreem selected for US accelerator


NicheStreem will be in the first PeaceTech Accelerator chohort. The music streaming service is based on the platform that music can heal divides within communities in conflict.

Obama’s Secretary of Defense Won’t Stop Trying Fix the World


Former Secretary of Defense, Ash Carter, accepted a position at the Harvard Kennedy School as the Belfer Professor of Technology and Global Affairs and Director of the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs where he hopes to further technology for public good.

This year's Hult Prize is looking for social enterprises that help alleviate the global refugee crisis. A winner will be selected from the five finalists in September.  
 

Cyber Changed War, But The Causes And Conduct Of Conflict Remain Human


Technology is advancing faster than humanity's ability to determine how to use it ethically. Retired General David Petraeus warns that humans must practice restraint when dealing with technological breakthroughs.

#PeaceTechDataViz

 

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Jigsaw, a Google incubator, produces technology that tackles global security challenges. They have recently launched Liveuamap, an interactive map sourced by live Twitter data. The map depicts conflicts ranging from human rights abuses and terrorist attacks to natural disasters and health epidemics throughout the globe. Viewers can efficiently access transparent data for regions of interest. The map can be particularly useful for making decisions on personal safety for individuals in conflict prone areas.
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PeaceTech Pulse

What we're listening to, reading, watching, and following this week.

This week the PeaceTech Lab launched the PeaceTech Accelerator in Washington, DC, an international peacetech program that partners with C5 Capital and Amazon Web Services to scale start-ups in conflict zones around the world. As this initiative takes off, there are two books that remind us that innovation comes from unlikely places. 

The Geography of Genius, acclaimed travel writer Eric Weiner sets out to examine how genius takes root and grows during different times and places in history. He explores pockets of new ideas throughout history like Florence during the Renaissance, the Song Dynasty Hangzhou, and present day Silicon Valley to show the connection between our surroundings and innovative thinking and whether the lessons learned can be replicated today. 

The Coming Prosperity by Philip E. Auerswald, meanwhile, presents an optimistic view of the present. Auerswald’s source of optimism is how now – more than in any time in history – an increasing number of the global population is connecting, collaborating, and creating new solutions for local and global problems. 

As the PeaceTech Accelerator launches this week, I believe that the greatest challenges to peace in the world will be solved by a mix of understanding the lessons of the past and empowering peacebuilders in conflict countries to come up with solutions.
 

 Commentary by Tim Receveur | Director, PeaceTech Exchanges | PeaceTech Lab

#PeaceTechDataViz

 

Venezuela News Analytics Instability Timeline 2017

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The PeaceTech Lab's Open Situation Room Exchange (OSRx) provides real-time global news and social media analytics. The News Analytics Instability Timeline depicts the stability of a country based on the impact of conflict events on overall national media. The graph shows Venezuela's news analytics as of 2017 with the Y-axis being the percent of all events monitored worldwide that are identified as conflict in Venezuela. The line chart depicts the density of conflict events for Venezuela as a percentage of all news reports. Venezuela's instability has skyrocketed this April after its Supreme Court ruled to limit the National Assembly's legislative authority and increased President Maduro's unilateral powers. The uptick in the graph is a likely representation of the wave of protests by Venezuelan opposition activists. 

PeaceTech in Action

Stories from the field. 

How can truth and communication combat fear, hate and violence? Una Hakika, or "Are you sure?" in Swahili, is an information service which provides subscribers with neutral, accurate information in response to rumors that arise in Kenya’s Tana River County, Lamu County, and some major slums in Nairobi.

Una Hakika uses WikiRumours, a web- and mobile-based platform, where rumors can be reported anonymously. Investigations of rumors are prioritized based on their susceptibility to inciting violence. Users can check the status of the rumor on the Una Hakika site to see if it has been verified. 532 rumors have been reported to date and approximately 25% have been confirmed as false thus far.

Dispelling rumors that may lead to mistrust and violence is essential for creating a peaceful environment. Local residents participate in monitoring, verifying, and countering rumors. Community members decide what information is most important to them and develop strategies for containing and countering disinformation. In the build-up to the Kenyan election this August, the network of community members, coupled with the technologies Una Hakika put in place for rapid communication, will be be major actors in curtailing harmful rumors that are inevitable in this volatile period.

In the News

Global reign of terror: map plots every terrorist attack and death in real-time


Wired reports on the interactive map of global terrorist attacks based on crowdsourced data created by the PeaceTech Lab in partnership with Esri Story Maps.

PeaceGeeks wins the Google Impact Challenge to develop "Pathways", an app that helps refugees in Canada find housing, employment opportunities, language classes and other necessary services.
 

When Marx Meets Islam


China issues a regulation that prohibits spreading hateful content in publications or online against religious or ethnic groups in order to mitigate prejudice. 

Google Training Ad Placement Computers to Be Offended


Google responds to companies' withdrawal of ads from YouTube after they appeared next to hate speech and terrorist content by training computer systems to identify objectionable videos.

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PeaceTech Pulse

What we're listening to, reading, watching, and following this week.

I recently came on to the team as a part of the Peace Engineers Program that PeaceTech Lab has with Drexel University. For the next 6 months I will be working on anything and everything that relates to Peacebuilding while lending a hand in finalizing the Peace Engineers Masters program that will be officially offered at Drexel University in the fall of this year. This new program will give anybody with a STEM background the chance to put their engineering skills to good use, through peacebuilding!

I was introduced to this program through a former co-op student, Bryce Peckman. I have always known that regardless of what major I chose or job I landed, I would want to use my skills for the greater good. Upon hearing about PeaceTech Lab and the Peace Engineering Program, I knew I had to apply and seize this opportunity while I had the chance. After my interview and some research I did on my own, I learned of all the different ways PeaceTech Lab was using technology to build peace, and was fascinated. I am so grateful to be here and am looking forward to working, learning, and helping out for the next 6 months!

Ayesha Syed is an engineering student at Drexel University, and part of the Lab’s Peace Engineering Co-Op program.

#PeaceTechDataViz

 

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The Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP) recently published their 2016 report, The Economic Value of Peace. The report found that the total economic impact of violence on the world in 2015 was $13.6 trillion. The map shows that a significant number of countries spend between 4-20% of their GDP on violence. IEP's report highlights that it is substantially less expensive to invest in sustainable conflict resolution and prevention than violence and war. The empirical evidence provided can be a powerful tool to influence policy on budget allocations to peace initiatives. 

PeaceTech in Action

Stories from the field. 

Atif, Aziz, and Abubakar are a group of Muslim-American friends and MIT alumni working in Silicon Valley. They felt a collective frustration and helplessness as the global refugee crisis worsened. The friends were increasingly incensed after hearing that communication was one of the biggest problems refugees faced, both in everyday circumstances and life-or-death scenarios. Being engineers, they asked themselves, “What if technology could make the difference?”  

The group created Tarjimly, a Messenger bot that instantly connects volunteers around the world to refugees and immigrants in need of translation services. Tarjimly is different from other tech-based translators because it establishes connections for specific dialects and allows users to send images, audio notes, or video for translation. Volunteers receive alerts when there is a request for a translation that fits their skills, and are instantly able to enter a secure, anonymous conversation. Tarjimly is currently available in Arabic, English, French, Farsi, Urdu, Turkish, German, and Pashto.

Tarjimly launched in 2016 with an impressive 2,000 sign-ups in just two weeks. The creators hope to continue iterating on their product by incorporating an improved routing, ranking, and referral process. They have partnered with a few small refugee organizations but are looking to establish larger partnerships with the RedCross and UNHCR, as well as seek investment or crowd-funding to expand Tarjimly.

In the News

Digital tool exposes crony corruption in the most unexpected countries


DigiWhist, a digital analysis system created by a group of international researches, tracks inputs and personal connections to identify corruption in the delivery of public services.

The Japan International Cooperation Agency made an app that electronically holds refugees' health records. The app's features include notifications for vaccination schedules.

How to keep smart cities cyber safe


While technology and cloud storage can be useful city management tools and aid distribution mechanisms, they are also susceptible to hacking. Devex suggests ways that practioners can mitigate the risk of city cyber attacks.

Techno-utopian solutions to Syria’s refugee crisis fall short


IRIN news argues that tech-led efforts to alleviate the Syrian refugee crisis are often launched without a needs-assessments or a plan to scale. Tech-projects will be more effective with a greater emphasis on research-based approaches.

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PeaceTech Pulse

What we're listening to, reading, watching, and following this week.

Who doesn’t want to be a hero? This seems to me to be the sentiment that drives the popularity of superheroes. And according to research highlighted in this Vice article, that psychology may also be one reason that young men turn to extremism.  As an avid superhero fan myself, I can’t help but cheer on comic book writers like Suleiman Bakhit who are tapping into this heroic desire to create positive narratives and new heroes for young Arabs of today. He says “... This is much more about a sense of belonging, a sense of identity, and a call to adventure... It's about narratives."

We couldn’t agree more.

PeaceTech Lab is well-equipped with a team that holds decades of experience in creating narratives that offer alternatives to violence. We collaborate closely with broadcasters and production companies to generate stories that entertain and educate. We start with research that solicits input from our core audience, which lends insight into the major issues they’re facing. It also identifies storylines that will best resonate with key groups. With that, we design a curriculum intended to move the needle on people’s knowledge, attitude and behaviors. Sawa Shabab, now in its third season, is a great example of this approach. The underlying curriculum promotes peaceful coexistence, empowered youth, and gender equality. Our post-season 2 research shows a link between these narratives and improved knowledge and attitudes, especially related to gender equality. Stories like this let everyone play a hero.

 Commentary by Nancy Payne | Vice-President | PeaceTech Lab

#PeaceTechDataViz

 

Statistical Risk Assessment of Genocide in 2016 

 

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Early Warning Project uses statistical analysis to determine countries at risk of state-led genocide. The prediction model is based on patterns from previous mass-atrocities. Darker shaded countries in the heat map indicate a greater likelihood of genocide. The nations that are at greatest risk all share similar patterns of government instability. The two countries at highest risk of genocide, Sudan and Yemen, are both torn by civil war. Myanmar is ranked third and while it has transitioned to a democracy, elements of its military dictatorship remain. Other regions of concern, like Burundi and Turkey, have recently undergone failed coup attempts. Humanitarian aid organizations and policymakers can respond to the patterns in Early Warning Project's research to create plans that will mitigate or prevent at-risk countries from committing genocide.

PeaceTech in Action

Stories from the field. 

In today's connected world there are more ways than ever for hateful language to be broadcast outward. Monitoring hate speech may allow us to predict violent outbreaks and, hopefully, prevent them. This is where Hatebase comes in as the world’s largest online database of hate speech.  Data-driven NGOs can use the multilingual, usage-based repository to better contextualize conversations from known conflict zones.

Hatebase is available to casual users through a Wikipedia-like web interface and to developers through an authenticating API. Although the core of Hatebase is its community-edited vocabulary of multilingual hate speech from around the globe, a critical concept in Hatebase is regionality: users can associate specific hate speech with geography, thus building a parallel dataset of “sightings” which can be monitored for frequency, localization, migration, and transformation.

Hatebase’s applications are numerous from genocide anticipation to location-based conflict monitoring. The developers hope that individuals, groups and organizations will embrace collaboration and leverage Hatebase data in their own applications. Hatebase is constantly helping civil society activists, such as one of the participants from the PeaceTech Exchange in Costa Rica who will soon be using Hatebase for collaborative hate speech monitoring in their project “Medio Succios”.

In the News

Basra PeaceTech Camp Concludes With Support Of Four Projects Supporting Integrity And Transparency


Fact in Iraq reports on the five day PeaceTech Exchange workshop in Basra last week where 30 civil society organizations were trained on the implementation of low-cost technologies to improve their work.
A cyberspace solution for monitoring hate speech

Participants from the PeaceTech Exchange in Myanmar create an artificial intelligence software company, Bindez, to monitor and counter hate speech in their country.

El País reports on the PeaceTech Lab's Lexicon of Hate Speech Terms in South Sudan and how it provides a nuanced understanding of unexpected terms used to incite violence. 

What is Peacetech? A New Environment Brings New Opportunity


Amazon Web Services blogs about the emerging peacetech industry and its capacity to accelerate the development of solutions to the drivers of conflict.

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Working for individuals and communities affected by conflict, using technology, media, & data to accelerate local peacebuilding efforts. 

PeaceTech Pulse

What we're listening to, reading, watching, and following this week.

While the concept of bringing technology into the classroom is not new, the ed-tech industry looks as if it is finally receiving attention from the investment community. On April 26, the start-up EverFi raised $190 million from a slew of big-name investors (including Bono), the third highest amount ever raised by an ed-tech firm.

EverFi works across sectors to scale educational opportunities – from K-12 and financial literacy to programs addressing the opioid epidemic in the United States. EverFi is also harnessing the lessons of Silicon Valley start-ups by attracting investments from venture capital firms looking to address societal issues at scale.

PeaceTech Lab is also starting a Silicon Valley-style revolution by hosting the PeaceTech Accelerator right in the basement of the United States Institute of Peace. PeaceTech Lab is working with C5 Capital and Amazon Web Services to identify and mentor start-ups in the peacetech space. The Accelerator is an 8-week program designed to provide peacetech start-ups with the tools to scale, pitch to investors, and find their potential. The PeaceTech Accelerator currently has its first cohort plugging away and is accepting applications for its second cohort of peace entrepreneurs!

 Commentary by David Stewart | Operations Manager | PeaceTech Lab

#PeaceTechDataViz

 

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Iraq's Governance Center for Public Policy published Lab Specialist Derek Caelin's interactive visualization of Iraq's 2016 budget. Prior to Derek's visualization, the budget was only available as a scanned PDF copy of a paper document on a hard-to-reach website. The interactive budget increases government transparency by allowing citizens to easily access Iraq's budget allocation. The visualization also facilitates analysis and allows viewers to determine areas of budgetary concern. It is available in both English and Arabic.

PeaceTech in Action

Stories from the field. 

Micro-tasking is a concept that has risen in popularity thanks to apps like Task Rabbit. While most micro-tasking sites focus on small, menial chores, the American Relief Coalition for Syria (ARCS) has partnered with the web platform, Udara Online to produce an app with a similar model but applied to the realm of peacebuilding. The Udara app provides citizens with an opportunity to improve the lives of Syrian refugees.

Udara recommends tasks that provide tangible help to Syrians in their country, in refugee camps, or in the United States. Micro-tasks listed on Udara range from medical professionals advising hospitals in Syria via Skype, teaching refugees English, or helping map barrel bombs through satellite imagery. Through its interactive interface and a series of simple questions, Udara offers users a personalized approach whereby citizens can best match their skills and interests. As the participant completes a task, the system validates that it was done and then awards points. As a participant’s reputation for doing good work increases, more significant opportunities for action are unlocked.

The most active users gain the opportunity to create their own tasks so that they can mobilize the efforts of many more people to their preferred cause. Udara co-founder, Ben Rowswell, believes that the app can help turn “clicktivism” into tangible acts for relief.  

In the News

Online fake news and hate speech are fueling tribal 'genocide' in South Sudan


Public Radio International uses the PeaceTech Lab's hate speech research in South Sudan to argue that hate speech and online rumors can cause violence offline. 
Ethical Guidelines for PeaceTech

JustPeace Labs contributes to the peacetech industry by releasing a report on the ethical use of technology in conflict zones and for humanitarian aid.
C5, Amazon Web Services, and PeaceTech Lab Welcome Startups to PeaceTech Accelerator

 

The first PeaceTech Accelerator has launched with a combination of five for-profit and not-for-profit startups in an eight week rigorous mentorship program with an opportunity to pitch to investors.

Fair Planet discusses how PeaceTech Accelerator participant Junub Games uses video and board games to unite South Sudanese people with messages of peace and tolerance.

Sesame Street programming is being brought to refugee camps. The show helps bring normalcy and education to the children while also incorporating anti-extremist messaging. 

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WEEKLY ROUNDUP

Working for individuals and communities affected by conflict, using technology, media, & data to accelerate local peacebuilding efforts. 

PeaceTech Pulse

What we're listening to, reading, watching, and following this week.

Visualizing US Government Spending and Revenue: USAFacts.org

There has been a flurry of media coverage recently over USAFacts.org, a new initiative pioneered by former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer to present government data using a “people-focused view.” The goal is to make it easier to understand (1) what government does, particularly with regard to spending and earning money, and (2) how those actions measure up to the “missions” outlined in the Constitution. Innovative visualizations allow USAFacts.org users to explore questions like: “What does the government do when parents are unable to care for their children?” or “How well are we educating the American people?”

Such a data-centric effort, though domestically focused, is relevant to peacebuilding. Broadly, it demonstrates the compelling manner in which data can inform policy decisions and show the impact of those decisions on (hopefully) improving peoples' lives. At PeaceTech Lab, we have seen how data showing correlation between gender-based violence and the amount of money spent on proper lighting and sanitation has been used to sway local governments in fragile states to take action.
 
In a world where facts are being challenged, this is a welcome initiative. Although Ballmer acknowledges the need to go further in providing data-driven insights (starting with the need for more city-specific, “local” data), USAFacts.org is an exciting and valuable effort that will stimulate interest in both looking at and collecting more data. We now need this type of effort on a global scale!
 

 Commentary by Rohini Srihari | Chief Data Scientist | PeaceTech Lab

#PeaceTechDataViz

 

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Freedom House published its Freedom of the Press 2017 report just in time for World Press Freedom Day this week. Freedom House uses a robust methodology to determine press freedom on the basis of 23 questions regarding the legal environment, political environment, and economic environment of each country. The answers are used to rank countries from 0, indicating the most press freedom, to 100, indicating the least press freedom. The 2017 findings show that only 13% of the world has free press (scores between 0 and 30). Free press is an essential aspect of any fair and democratic society as it keeps the government accountable and citizens engaged. PeaceTech Lab has partnered with various journalists and media organizations to develop technology for journalist safety.

PeaceTech In Action

Stories from the field.

This is the first feature in a special series of “PeaceTech in Action,” highlighting entrepreneurs in the current PeaceTech Accelerator program.

Geeta Raj first learned about the unequivocal power of education through her father, a refugee from the ​1947 ​ethnic partition in India, who overcame economic and social adversity by earning five higher education degrees.  Geeta’s father became the inspiration for creating The Global Sleepover, which educates children across the world through interactive and multimedia storytelling.

The Global Sleepover reaches children in conflict zones with transformative educational tools to spread messages of tolerance and peace and promotes positive youth development. ​The organization’s developments range from storybook apps to travel journals that are designed to improve literacy and teach global citizenship. The Global Sleepover has made its most notable impact with its international literacy programs, resulting in at least a 90% reading improvement in South Sudan, South Africa, India, Kosovo, UK and the US. The Global Sleepover has also leveraged local partnerships such as with Mish Madrasa, an after-school alternative education center in Egypt. The collaborative programs have notably reduced rates of interpersonal violence and increased feelings of psychological safety amongst the children.

The Global Sleepover is currently in the first cohort of the PeaceTech Lab’s PeaceTech Accelerator program. Geeta has found the sessions on governance and structure to be particularly helpful for her business model and says, “No matter the end game, you need proper execution.” The Accelerator’s mentorship sessions have been valuable for strategizing The Global Sleepover’s implementation.

In the News

Hate Speech in South Sudan: Social Media as a Weapon of War

In 2016, PeaceTech Lab conducted research to better understand the connection between online hate speech and violence on the ground in South Sudan.
Adventures in Civic Tech: Visualizing Iraq’s Budget

Lab Specialist Derek Caelin discusses his work on civic engagement for government accountability ranging from his visualization of Iraq's budget to conducting PeaceTech Exchanges with civil society organizations.
Youth in Tunisia find a way out of violence with tech

 

A collaborative digital mapping project in Tunisia gives students the opportunity to improve public service delivery in their community and serves as a deterrent to violence and extremism.

groundTruth Data Repository for Peacebuilding


The PeaceTech Lab's proposed groundTruth project, which provides peacebuilders  with direct access to data and data visualization tools, has been shortlisted for the OpenIDEO BridgeBuilder Challenge. 

Wikipedia was blocked in Turkey in response to articles that were considered to be smear campaigns against the Turkish government.

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The Lab's Roundup highlighting stories on technology, media, and data in peacebuilding.
View this email in your browser

WEEKLY ROUNDUP

Working for individuals and communities affected by conflict, using technology, media, & data to accelerate local peacebuilding efforts. 

PeaceTech Pulse

What we're listening to, reading, watching, and following this week.

Visualizing US Government Spending and Revenue: USAFacts.org

There has been a flurry of media coverage recently over USAFacts.org, a new initiative pioneered by former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer to present government data using a “people-focused view.” The goal is to make it easier to understand (1) what government does, particularly with regard to spending and earning money, and (2) how those actions measure up to the “missions” outlined in the Constitution. Innovative visualizations allow USAFacts.org users to explore questions like: “What does the government do when parents are unable to care for their children?” or “How well are we educating the American people?”

Such a data-centric effort, though domestically focused, is relevant to peacebuilding. Broadly, it demonstrates the compelling manner in which data can inform policy decisions and show the impact of those decisions on (hopefully) improving peoples' lives. At PeaceTech Lab, we have seen how data showing correlation between gender-based violence and the amount of money spent on proper lighting and sanitation has been used to sway local governments in fragile states to take action.
 
In a world where facts are being challenged, this is a welcome initiative. Although Ballmer acknowledges the need to go further in providing data-driven insights (starting with the need for more city-specific, “local” data), USAFacts.org is an exciting and valuable effort that will stimulate interest in both looking at and collecting more data. We now need this type of effort on a global scale!
 

 Commentary by Rohini Srihari | Chief Data Scientist | PeaceTech Lab

#PeaceTechDataViz

 

Positive Peace In Mexico

 

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Vision of Humanity published its 2017 Mexico Peace Index report to assess how Mexico's levels of peace vary across the country. Positive peace analysis was a major component of the study. High positive peace means that attitudes, institutions, and structures are in place to foster sustainable peace. The research found that the areas with low positive peace are concentrated in the poorest states in Mexico. Peacebuilders must monitor areas of low positive peace to prevent them from escalating to negative peace, meaning violence.    

PeaceTech In Action

Stories from the field.

This is part of the special series of “PeaceTech in Action,” highlighting entrepreneurs in the current PeaceTech Accelerator program.

Geeta Raj first learned about the unequivocal power of education through her father, a refugee from the ​1947 ​ethnic partition in India, who overcame economic and social adversity by earning five higher education degrees.  Geeta’s father became the inspiration for creating The Global Sleepover, which educates children across the world through interactive and multimedia storytelling.

The Global Sleepover reaches children in conflict zones with transformative educational tools to spread messages of tolerance and peace and promotes positive youth development. ​The organization’s developments range from storybook apps to travel journals that are designed to improve literacy and teach global citizenship. The Global Sleepover has made its most notable impact with its international literacy programs, resulting in at least a 90% reading improvement in South Sudan, South Africa, India, Kosovo, UK and the US. The Global Sleepover has also leveraged local partnerships such as with Mish Madrasa, an after-school alternative education center in Egypt. The collaborative programs have notably reduced rates of interpersonal violence and increased feelings of psychological safety amongst the children.

The Global Sleepover is currently in the first cohort of the PeaceTech Lab’s PeaceTech Accelerator program. Geeta has found the sessions on governance and structure to be particularly helpful for her business model and says, “No matter the end game, you need proper execution.” The Accelerator’s mentorship sessions have been valuable for strategizing The Global Sleepover’s implementation.

In the News

ISIS tops the 2017 terror charts in new world map which shows 406 extremist strikes across the globe already this year

Daily Mail article uses the Lab's interactive map on global terrorist attacks to determine terrorist groups with the greatest impact in 2017.

Reel truth

The Nepalese show Singha Durbar counters traditional societal norms through its strong characters. The notion of LGBTQ people as victims is challenged through the role model seen in the Prime Minister's press adviser.  

Cultural barriers need to be challenged to close the gender digital divide


Social norms that resist women's use of information and communication technologies can exasperate gender inequalities and perpetuate gender-based violence. 
When Elmo And Big Bird Talk To Refugees

 

The producers of Sesame Street have conducted research in Jordanian refugee camps to create programs with content that is relevant and useful for refugee children. 

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The Lab's Roundup highlighting stories on technology, media, and data in peacebuilding.
View this email in your browser

WEEKLY ROUNDUP

Working for individuals and communities affected by conflict, using technology, media, & data to accelerate local peacebuilding efforts. 

PeaceTech In Action

Stories from the field.

 

Crowdtect is a software company that develops tools to help people help each other. The CEO, Philip Sunil Urech, drew inspiration to create the first product after traveling to Delhi and noticing his friend’s physical discomfort and heightened awareness when she was in public spaces. This experience led to the development of CrowdGuard, an app that strives to make environments safer for people of all genders.

CrowdGuard allows bystanders to help others in their immediate geographic proximity. In the event of assault or harassment, users can raise an alarm and receive assistance nearby from trusted CrowdGuard users. CrowdGuard’s aim has been to combine tech solutions with community empowerment. The app adopted a user-led design and has recruited peer ambassadors to teach bystander intervention skills  at universities and community spaces in Delhi. Crowdtect plans to further its developments by virtualizing the offline education, expanding CrowdGuard through more partnerships with local organizations, and extending the software platform to include non-smartphone users

Crowdtect is currently in the first cohort of the PeaceTech Lab’s PeaceTech Accelerator program. Philip found the Accelerator Launch event particularly helpful because it gave him the opportunity to meet with government officials, investors, developers, academics, and potential users from many countries beyond India. He was able to showcase the app to a wide audience and build networks to help with future expansion.

#PeaceTechDataViz

 

Positive Peace In Mexico

 

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Vision of Humanity published its 2017 Mexico Peace Index report to assess how Mexico's levels of peace vary across the country. Positive peace analysis was a major component of the study. High positive peace means that attitudes, institutions, and structures are in place to foster sustainable peace. The research found that the areas with low positive peace are concentrated in the poorest states in Mexico. Peacebuilders must monitor areas of low positive peace to prevent them from escalating to negative peace, meaning violence.    

PeaceTech Pulse

What we're listening to, reading, watching, and following this week.

Strategies to Secure Environmental Defenders

From the highlands of West Papua to the herding grasslands of Mongolia and the river deltas of Southern Nigeria, environmental defenders are using peacetech tools and technologies to​​ monitor and evaluate the social, environmental, and economic impacts of multinational companies and governments​. In places where community health and economic sustainability are often intricately intertwined with the natural environment, the negative impact of a polluted river or deforestation can be deadly for the local communities which rely on the natural resources for their livelihoods. These grievances and power disparities can lead to conflict when left unaddressed.

This Stanford Social Innovation Review article highlights three important strategies for protecting the safety and security of environmental defenders, and identifies a number of peacetech solutions that both enhance and scale their impact.

A focus on local resiliency provides the people power necessary to provide critical resources and support to environmental defenders during times of need. A group called Saramanta Warmikuna uses the simple peacetech solution of an online platform to connect indigenous women leaders fighting oil and gas exploitation in the Amazon rainforest in Ecuador.

And there are a number of peacetech tools that can assist with the development of rapid response mechanisms, or analyzing the root causes of the conflict.  Check out the PeaceTech Lab’s Peacetech Wiki for more peacetech tools, and submit yours today!
 

 Commentary by Althea Middleton-Detzner | Director, Peacebuilding Engineers Program | PeaceTech Lab

In the News

5 Q’s for Rohini Srihari, Chief Data Scientist at PeaceTech Lab

 

The Center for Data Innovation interviews the Lab's Chief Data Scientist on the PeaceTech Accelerator program and the role data can play in promoting peace.
When Elmo And Big Bird Talk To Refugees

 

The producers of Sesame Street have conducted research in Jordanian refugee camps to create programs with content that is relevant and useful for refugee children. 
ISIS tops the 2017 terror charts in new world map which shows 406 extremist strikes across the globe already this year

Daily Mail article uses the Lab's interactive map on global terrorist attacks to determine terrorist groups with the greatest impact in 2017.

Cultural barriers need to be challenged to close the gender digital divide


Social norms that resist women's use of information and communication technologies can exasperate gender inequalities and perpetuate gender-based violence. 

Reel truth

The Nepalese show Singha Durbar counters traditional societal norms through its strong characters. The notion of LGBTQ people as victims is challenged through the role model seen in the Prime Minister's press adviser.  

HELP THE CAUSE

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The Lab's Roundup highlighting stories on technology, media, and data in peacebuilding.
View this email in your browser

WEEKLY ROUNDUP

Working for individuals and communities affected by conflict, using technology, media, & data to accelerate local peacebuilding efforts. 

PeaceTech In Action

Stories from the field.

Social networks are hardly “social.” The time and effort spent on social media rarely translates into meaningful real-life connections. This is a trend Wistla aims to end. With the goal to make “social networking sociable,” Wistla believes that in-person interaction is an essential aspect of a healthy society and that tech should enhance people’s lives - not be a substitute for it. 
 
Described as “an online hub for your offline life,” Wistla users can create “crowds” to collectively mobilize offline and “wistl” at these crowds to share in real-life moments. The app allows users to collect photos and videos of the experience, strengthening community ties. Beyond fostering a more “sociable” world, Wistla can be used in conflict and post-conflict societies to create a sense of belonging, effectively countering social disconnection, otherness and isolation - some of the main triggers of societal discord. Wistla can also be used as a mechanism to support the efforts of grassroots and charitable organizations and to mobilize communities.
 
Wistla is currently in the first cohort of the PeaceTech Lab’s PeaceTech Accelerator program and has already been featured by Forbes for its unique mission. The team found the mentorship session by Steve Kostant particularly impactful for learning how to command an audience and pitch a compelling story. Wistla COO, Lexi Willetts, adds, “His simplistic, visual and measured approach has both helped to shape our narrative and recognize the strengths of our journey, our product and our future plans.”

#PeaceTechDataViz

 

Fragility Around the World

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The Fund for Peace released the 2017 Fragile States Index this week. The data-driven report can be used by peacebuilding practitioners to assess a state's weaknesses - and then target these weaknesses for change.

PeaceTech Pulse

What we're listening to, reading, watching and following this week.

How Deep is Peace?

As a technologist, this is perhaps the most exciting time to be alive, especially if you dabble in a little something called “deep learning.” Although a nascent branch of artificial intelligence, every new breakthrough has consistently brought us closer to the stuff of science fiction. There are the usual parlor tricks - art appreciation (Picasso-style Gandalf, anyone?) and musical innovation (with caveats) and even the downright bizarre like screenplay writing. But the real excitement lies in how these algorithms have disruptively transformed the way machines understand data. A cornerstone of this research is how closely they mimic the way we humans comprehend the world around us. Every picture, word, sound, smell, taste and touch are innately understood by us beyond their physical manifestations - sometimes as abstract concepts whilst at other times moored to the emotional responses they evoke within us. And this begets the question, how deep really is peace?

At PeaceTech Lab, we view both peace and conflict resolution as complex, multidimensional entities. And while, it is possible to “learn” language, visual style or musical structure by ingesting large volumes of data samples; each country, socio-political situation is very different from another and that much harder to learn. We have thus been trying to harness the power of deep learning methodologies to get better at keeping our ear to the ground. From sieving through various data sources - satellite imagery, food prices, weather forecasts, social media, etc. to mapping their interdependence and causal paths, we are truly pushing the proverbial envelope in how technology can enable peace building.

Commentary by Nikhil Londhe | Data Scientist | PeaceTech Lab

In the News

How Technology Can Boost Government Accountability in the Developing World

Technology can be used as a way to increase government-to-citizen-interaction, allowing constituencies to hold leaders accountable for their actions.
Kashbook: Kashmiri Teen's Facebook Lookalike Beats Social Media Ban 

Much of social media is currently banned in Kashmir, but rather than accept this, one teen decided to fight it by creating his own version of Facebook: Kashbook. 
Anti-Muslim Sentiment on the Rise in China. The Internet Fuels — and Fights — This

Social media plays a key role in transmitting anti-Muslim rhetoric in China, and the rise in this speech will negatively impact the country's minority Muslim community.
The Fight For The $400 Billion Business Of Immigrants Sending Money Home

Small startups are using bitcoin and the blockchain to drastically lower money transfer fees as they try to grab a share of the remittance market so prevalent in the developing world.

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The Lab's Roundup highlighting stories on technology, media, and data in peacebuilding.
View this email in your browser

WEEKLY ROUNDUP

Working for individuals and communities affected by conflict, using technology, media, & data to accelerate local peacebuilding efforts. 

PeaceTech In Action

Stories from the field.

Social networks are hardly “social.” The time and effort spent on social media rarely translates into meaningful real-life connections. This is a trend Wistla aims to end. With the goal to make “social networking sociable,” Wistla believes that in-person interaction is an essential aspect of a healthy society and that tech should enhance people’s lives - not be a substitute for it. 
 
Described as “an online hub for your offline life,” Wistla users can create “crowds” to collectively mobilize offline and “wistl” at these crowds to share in real-life moments. The app allows users to collect photos and videos of the experience, strengthening community ties. Beyond fostering a more “sociable” world, Wistla can be used in conflict and post-conflict societies to create a sense of belonging, effectively countering social disconnection, otherness and isolation - some of the main triggers of societal discord. Wistla can also be used as a mechanism to support the efforts of grassroots and charitable organizations and to mobilize communities.
 
Wistla is currently in the first cohort of the PeaceTech Lab’s PeaceTech Accelerator program and has already been featured by Forbes for its unique mission. The team found the mentorship session by Steve Kostant particularly impactful for learning how to command an audience and pitch a compelling story. Wistla COO, Lexi Willetts, adds, “His simplistic, visual and measured approach has both helped to shape our narrative and recognize the strengths of our journey, our product and our future plans.”

#PeaceTechDataViz

 

Fragility Around the World

hgfjhgfjh
The Fund for Peace released the 2017 Fragile States Index this week. The data-driven report can be used by peacebuilding practitioners to assess a state's weaknesses - and then target these weaknesses for change.

PeaceTech Pulse

What we're listening to, reading, watching and following this week.

How Deep is Peace?

As a technologist, this is perhaps the most exciting time to be alive, especially if you dabble in a little something called “deep learning.” Although a nascent branch of artificial intelligence, every new breakthrough has consistently brought us closer to the stuff of science fiction. There are the usual parlor tricks - art appreciation (Picasso-style Gandalf, anyone?) and musical innovation (with caveats) and even the downright bizarre like screenplay writing. But the real excitement lies in how these algorithms have disruptively transformed the way machines understand data. A cornerstone of this research is how closely they mimic the way we humans comprehend the world around us. Every picture, word, sound, smell, taste and touch are innately understood by us beyond their physical manifestations - sometimes as abstract concepts whilst at other times moored to the emotional responses they evoke within us. And this begets the question, how deep really is peace?

At PeaceTech Lab, we view both peace and conflict resolution as complex, multidimensional entities. And while, it is possible to “learn” language, visual style or musical structure by ingesting large volumes of data samples; each country, socio-political situation is very different from another and that much harder to learn. We have thus been trying to harness the power of deep learning methodologies to get better at keeping our ear to the ground. From sieving through various data sources - satellite imagery, food prices, weather forecasts, social media, etc. to mapping their interdependence and causal paths, we are truly pushing the proverbial envelope in how technology can enable peace building.

Commentary by Nikhil Londhe | Data Scientist | PeaceTech Lab

In the News

How Technology Can Boost Government Accountability in the Developing World

Technology can be used as a way to increase government-to-citizen-interaction, allowing constituencies to hold leaders accountable for their actions.
Kashbook: Kashmiri Teen's Facebook Lookalike Beats Social Media Ban 

Much of social media is currently banned in Kashmir, but rather than accept this, one teen decided to fight it by creating his own version of Facebook: Kashbook. 
Anti-Muslim Sentiment on the Rise in China. The Internet Fuels — and Fights — This

Social media plays a key role in transmitting anti-Muslim rhetoric in China, and the rise in this speech will negatively impact the country's minority Muslim community.
The Fight For The $400 Billion Business Of Immigrants Sending Money Home

Small startups are using bitcoin and the blockchain to drastically lower money transfer fees as they try to grab a share of the remittance market so prevalent in the developing world.

HELP THE CAUSE

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F O L L O W on F A C E B O O K
F O L L O W on T W I T T E R
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Copyright © 2017 PeaceTech Lab, All rights reserved.

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The Lab's Roundup highlighting stories on technology, media, and data in peacebuilding.
View this email in your browser

WEEKLY ROUNDUP

Working for individuals and communities affected by conflict, using technology, media, & data to accelerate local peacebuilding efforts. 

PeaceTech In Action

Stories from the field.

For the founders of NicheStreem, listening to music is more than just an essential part of the morning commute; it’s a way to foster communities and bridge cultural and social chasms. While there are numerous music streaming services out there, none of them offer culturally relevant or uniquely curated experiences intended to truly make the listener feel at home. NicheStreem is an app-based music streaming service that caters to local audiences and creates a space where music and culture are intrinsically linked.

NicheStreem’s first product is Liedjie, meaning “song” in Afrikaans. Liedjie is the first solely Afrikaans music streaming service and is particularly noteworthy for fans of South African music because it caters to a variety of musical sub-niches. NicheStreem is planning future projects to further leverage music’s ability to bring about reconciliation in conflict-affected areas. The team next plans to create an app dedicated entirely to the Syrian refugee community. Through this app, Syrian refugees will be able to access culturally and contextually relevant content free of charge. The app will include Syrian music, spoken word, audio documentaries, news reports, public service announcements and educational podcasts, with the aim of connecting and educating displaced community members regardless of their individual location.  

 NicheStreem is currently in the first cohort of the PeaceTech Lab’s PeaceTech Accelerator program. Catherine Lückhoff, the CEO and Founder, has particularly valued learning from the myriad of intelligent and interesting mentors offered through the program.

#PeaceTechDataViz

Conflict's Impact on Internal Stability

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According to the newly released Global Report on Internal Displacement40.3 million people were displaced by conflict in 2016. Sub-Saharan Africa accounted for the steepest rise in new IDPs with the reemergence of fighting in the DRC, while the number of new IDPs in the Middle East remained steady due to lingering conflicts in Syria, Afghanistan and Iraq.

PeaceTech Pulse

What we're listening to, reading, watching and following this week.

The Problem That is Hate Speech


With elections approaching on August 8 in Kenya, this article points to the increasing threat of hate speech as a tool for inciting violence. Kenya has an unfortunate history of electoral violence, with radio broadcasts and other media used to spark violent conflict following the 2007 electoral period. Although the 2013 balloting was relatively peaceful, it's clear that the complexity of various legal provisions enforcing hate speech leaves a window of opportunity open for politicians and their supporters to exploit ethnic differences for their own political gain.

The fact that digital evidence can not yet be used in Kenyan courts to prove hate speech violations is disturbing. Yet digital tools can also be used to identify, monitor and counter hateful language. For example, in 2013, Kenyans on Twitter used the social media platform to converge en masse on hate speech perpetrators, ultimately closing many of the offending accounts. Also, iHub Research used sophisticated media monitoring tools to analyze the degree to which hate language could catalyze violence.

PeaceTech Lab is assisting in election violence prevention in Kenya by implementing an SMS platform that local communities are using to identify rumors, misinformation and hate speech that can lead to conflict in three counties. The platform is also used to send targeted messages of peace -- developed by local citizens -- back to the communities affected. Additionally, by using software tools like Crimson Hexagon and NodeXL, the Lab is able to monitor how online narratives of hate reflect political discourse on the ground.

Commentary by Theo Dolan | Director, PeaceMedia and PeaceTech Lab Africa

In the News

No, Google’s Not a Bird: Bringing the Internet to Rural India

Rural villages in India remain largely unaware of the intricacies of the internet. One man's journey to introduce this tool was met with unease but also amazement.
 
This Refugee Camp in the Jordanian Desert Now Has Its Own Solar Farm

Electricity used to be sporadic in Azraq camp, but solar panels now provide residents with power 24 hours a day, and this project may be introduced in other camps around the world.
 
The Impact of New Technologies on Peace, Security and Development 

Tech and sustainable development go hand-in-hand. The Independent Commission on Multilateralism says tech can be further used to prevent conflict and respond to urgent humanitarian needs. 
Expanding Digital Services Key to Financial Inclusion in Africa

Continuing economic success on the continent rests in the hands of Africa's young people, and the key to sustainable growth lies in improving financial access for the ever-growing youth population.
 

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The Lab's Roundup highlighting stories on technology, media, and data in peacebuilding.
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WEEKLY ROUNDUP

Working for individuals and communities affected by conflict, using technology, media, & data to accelerate local peacebuilding efforts. 

PeaceTech In Action

Stories from the field.

Despite numerous attempted agreements and discussions, peace in South Sudan remains as elusive as ever as outbreaks of violence continue on an almost daily basis. Lual Mayen, Founder of Junub Games, believes that peace cannot be achieved simply by signing a piece of paper; long-lasting peace can only be achieved by changing the hearts of people.

Lual is a software developer turned peacebuilder. He created Junub Games to foster peace and understanding among the people of South Sudan through mobile apps and board games. Junub Games products include Salaam Game, where players can put themselves in the role of a conflict mediator and Wahada, a card game where players counteract hate speech with positive responses. Lual states that the platform is an effective form of sustainable peacebuilding because the games are entertaining, and South Sudanese people from diverse backgrounds are eager to play. Junub Games particularly stands out because they customize games to address current, ongoing problems. The team research specialist identifies patterns of hate speech and violence in South Sudan, and these patterns are then programmed into the games.

Junub Games was in the first cohort of PeaceTech Lab’s PeaceTech Accelerator program. Lual benefited from being immersed in a cohort that uses technology in various ways. While he learned much from the mentorship sessions and grew immensely because of them, Lual also credits the other participants as contributing to his overall growth and success.

#PeaceTechDataViz

Conflict & Drought Causes Mass Starvation

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Mass starvation is an imminent threat in Nigeria, Somalia, South Sudan, and Yemen, and, according to United Nations officials, the shortage of food in these countries is exacerbated by drought and ongoing violence. Famine has been declared in two parts of South Sudan, making the situation here the most deadly and serious of the four countries at risk.

PeaceTech Pulse

What we're listening to, reading, watching and following this week.

Music for Peace

American poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow said that “music is the universal language of mankind.” One organization, Music for Peace, manifests this mantra by uniting people in conflict zones of Africa through collaborative music. Music for Peace is a cohort of musicians and dancers in northern Uganda that “promotes the power of music in peacebuilding and solidarity among artists from conflict and post-conflict areas in Africa.” Music for Peace gives Ugandans the tools, opportunities, and support to write, record, and promote music and music videos in a fun and collaborative atmosphere. Their songs revolve around the themes of unity and peace across North Africa, and plans have been initiated to study the effects of this peaceful media and how they can expand its impact.
 
The efforts of Music for Peace echo those of PeaceTech Lab with our Peace Media initiatives. Our projects in Peace Media include current and past radio dramas Sawa Shabab in South Sudan and OneVillage, a Thousand Voices in Afghanistan, as well as former reality TV show Salam Shabab in Iraq—all of which promote themes of unity and peace in these conflict-stricken areas by telling stories that are relatable and relevant to youth. The Lab has conducted surveys amongst youth that confirm the positive impacts of such media on their perceptions of equality and social justice. Whether it is music, film, or audio, it is clear that peace media is having a positive impact on the next generation of youth in conflict-stricken zones.

Commentary by Madison Kierod | Peace Engineer | PeaceTech Lab

In the News

Banned Outfits In Pakistan Operate Openly on Facebook

Existing in plain sight, 41 of Pakistan's 64 banned organizations are present on Facebook, and their individual activities can be easily accessed by all users.
Could Artificial Intelligence Lead to World Peace?

Human beings cannot be replaced but artificial intelligence could be used to support peace processes. By focusing on language barriers and communication issues, one scientist believes global peace is possible.
Uber for Tractors is Really a Thing in Developing Countries

Farm machinery is never cheap, and the price of maintaining equipment is a cost many in the developing world cannot afford. A new Uber-like service allows farmers to rent equipment from one another.
Could Big Data Help End Hunger in Africa?

Computer algorithms power much of modern life, but could these programs be utilized to predict drought and famine in Africa? A newly developed early warning system uses big data to detect problems a year in advance.

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Working for individuals and communities affected by conflict, using technology, media, & data to accelerate local peacebuilding efforts. 

PeaceTech In Action

Stories from the field.

Government corruption in the European Union increases the cost of government contracts by 20-25%. DIGIWHIST, or Digital Whistleblower, is an EU Horizon 2020 funded project that brings together six European research institutes with the aim of empowering society to combat corruption. DIGIWHIST compiles and evaluates micro-level data to detect potential conflicts of interest in the system of public procurement and identify systemic vulnerabilities. The organization is creating tools that will fundamentally transform public procurement processes. EuroPAM (European Public Accountability Mechanisms) is a portal that produces assessments for 35 European jurisdictions of in-law efforts in the fields of conflict of interest, public procurement, financial disclosure, party financing, and freedom of information. An interactive map allows for easy comparison of accountability mechanisms across states.

Future projects include Opentender.eu, a portal that will showcase micro-level public procurement data in user friendly and accessible formats with a series of indicators measuring transparency, corruption risks, and administrative quality. DIGIWHIST also works to engage users by hosting a series of conferences and workshops. The intuitive tools, training, and networks provided by DIGIWHIST allows for greater civilian involvement in the battle against government corruption.

#PeaceTechDataViz

Refugee Flows Since the Year 2000
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These interactive maps may be beautiful, but the problem they detail is not. The global flow of refugees has increased exponentially since 2000. Though the crisis
in Europe often receives the most attention, a much larger refugee problem is
plaguing Sub-Saharan Africa. Meanwhile, the conflict in Syria continues to
push thousands of civilians into neighboring states and the broader world.

PeaceTech Pulse

What we're listening to, reading, watching, and following this week.

Actually, Tech Can be Used for Good

It’s easy to get down on tech these days, when so much media attention is given to impulsive tweeting, Russian hacking, the online activity of violent extremists, fake news, and . . . the list goes on. Today, it is the unintended negative consequences of social media and the internet that seem to dominate the zeitgeist.

But hold on! There is another “alternative reality” we’re seeing at PeaceTech Lab, which is in stark contrast to this bleak one – but that doesn’t get anything like the attention.

This month of June is a good study in what I mean. It began with an article on June 2 in the Financial Times Magazine describing Tarjimly, an innovative low-tech translation solution for refugees. “Tarjimly is part of a growing movement of 'PeaceTech'," wrote the FT. “Software engineers are beginning to create technologies that connect people and information for humanitarian causes. The scale of the Syrian crisis and the lack of a clear response from the west has shaken once apolitical developers into action.”

Then there are the numerous June conferences showcasing entrepreneurs and their startup technologies for social good. PeaceTech Lab will be presenting at some of them, beginning with the Personal Democracy Forum in New York on June 7 and 8, where the agenda is bursting with innovation in technology for civic engagement. Mid-month we will be at the Amazon Web Services Public Sector Summit in Washington DC (June 12 to 14), highlighting with other start-ups the power of cloud computing to lower costs and help scale innovation. Finally, we will be honored to keynote the Innovations in Rule of Law Symposium at USIP on June 23 (RSVP here), where mobile banking, smartphone apps, and e-governance solutions will be front and center.

And that’s just one month.

The FT Magazine got it right – there is a “growing movement” of peacetech that is exciting, that is promising, and that is attracting engineers and entrepreneurs aplenty. I look forward to the day when it also attracts the attention it needs and the optimism it deserves.

Commentary by Sheldon Himelfarb | President and CEO| PeaceTech Lab

In the News

Saudi-Owned TV Drama Fights Islamic State Propaganda

Since ISIS first began to push its message out on social media, Western & Arab governments have continually sought to counter it. A Saudi Arabia TV drama is fighting this propaganda by dramatizing life under the so-called caliphate.
Company Focus: A Package Tracking Service for Refugee Aid

The United Parcel Service (UPS) saw firsthand the difficulty of delivering aid to refugees during emergencies. To combat this problem, they developed a more reliable system to help workers expedite supplies and oversee destinations.
Supporting Qatar on Social Media a Cybercrime, Says UAE Attorney General

In an online statement, the UAE attorney general said showing support to Qatar online or by any other means is a crime punishable by 3 to 15 years in prison and heavy fines.
Indian Millennials Feel AI Can Bring Global Peace

What's the best way to achieve global peace? Indian millennials believe artificial intelligence can be used by governments and organizations to develop tech platforms for peace.

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PeaceTech In Action

Stories from the field.

Rumors flow freely in Myanmar, and the quick flow of these rumors can easily spark communal conflict. In a country easily prone to violence and instability, stemming the flow of misinformation is a pressing need. Maude Morrison, a 2016 Build Peace Fellow, worked with Myanmar-based NGO the Center for Diversity and National Harmony (CDNH) to develop and pilot a smartphone app to track and verify rumors that could lead to communal conflict.  

Utilizing an extensive local network developed by the Early Warning Early Response (EWER) Program at CDNH, the app improves connections with and among members of the local community by allowing users to report rumors, check on the veracity of ongoing rumors, and interact with rumors by commenting on them or uploading evidence. CDNH verifies rumors as true or false to provide accurate information back to users of the app. These users can then put a stop to the rumors in their communities, potentially preventing violence.

The app was initially designed to be available only to the approximately 1,000 members of the CDNH network. This ensures information on the app only circulates among a trusted group of local peacebuilders. Early results of a pilot program with 60 users suggest the app has great potential to increase the efficiency of conflict early warning mechanisms, with 72.2% of users reporting feeling closer to their peacebuilding network after engaging with the app. The app aims to improve the timeliness and quality of field reports and strengthen the response and impact of local community members. CDNH is working to push the project beyond the initial prototype to further enhance positive community ties and streamline the collection of information from local contacts to prevent communal conflict in Myanmar.

#PeaceTechDataViz

South Sudanese Refugees Growing Quickly

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The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) released a report this week on forced displacement trends for 2016. The world's fastest growing refugee population was centered in South Sudan, where the still ongoing political crisis forced nearly 2 million people from their homes into surrounding countries.
Of those displaced, 21% were women and 66% were children.

PeaceTech Pulse

What we're listening to, reading, watching, and following this week.

Bureaucracy? More Like Bureaucrazy 

While wrapping up my MA capstone thesis this past semester, I had the pleasure to learn about an amazing new app in development in Germany that seeks to make sense of the highly nuanced German bureaucracy. The app is (rightly) called Bureaucrazy and is being developed by a small team of Syrian refugees who had to navigate around all of the office visits, interviews, and labyrinth of paperwork themselves. They realized that there must be an easier way. 

The app seeks to combine three basic functions: a translation service that renders German official documents into Arabic and English, a multiple-choice decision tree for frequently encountered problems, and a mapping service that sends applicants to the right council office. 

Having done my thesis research on Syrian refugee integration in Berlin, my team and I realized the immense difficulties that refugees and newcomers encounter when it comes to paperwork and how that relates to integration. Everything from language courses, medical visits, or even visas all depend on perfecting the paperwork process. Not only this, but even German natives themselves highlighted these same issues and are equally as excited about the launch of this app. 

The Bureaucrazy app is a wonderful example of how simple handheld technology can address very important problems. This app and its features will lead to better refugee integration in Germany since it streamlines the process and gives people the tools that make the burden of German bureaucracy manageable. 

Commentary by Maen Hammad | Business Development Intern | PeaceTech Lab

In the News

Using Texts as Lures, Government Spyware Targets Mexican Journalists and Their Families

Some of Mexico's most prominent human rights activists, lawyers, and journalists were targeted by advanced spyware linked to the Mexican government. The targeting raises serious legal and ethical questions.
Facebook Is Enlisting Human Experts and AI to Fight Terrorism

After the recent spate of attacks in places such as London, politicians have criticized social networks for nurturing extremism. Facebook is employing a team of 150 experts and developing AI technologies to fight terrorists operating on its platform.

Cross-border remittances are weighed down by heavy transaction costs. Mobile money, cloud technology, and electronic identification systems can reduce these costs, making it easier for workers aboard to send money back home.
Accenture and Microsoft Plan Digital IDs for Millions of Refugees

For those fleeing war-torn countries, proving identification is difficult. A new technology will use the blockchain to provide digital legal identification for millions of refugees without official documents.

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PeaceTech In Action

Stories from the field.

Echo Mobile is a Kenya-based firm that operates and develops scalable, cloud-based, mobile-first communication and management information platforms. Through the core Echo platform, organisations interact with a variety of 2G (SMS, IVR, USSD) and 3G (Android applications and sensors) channels to collect information from and send targeted messages to customers and beneficiaries. Information gathered through these channels is synced back to and aggregated on the Echo platform for easy management, export, and analysis. Echo’s clients use the platform in a variety of ways including data collection on program impact, continuous communication with clients and beneficiaries, product registration, and verification and evaluation of field agents. Alongside its core communications platform, Echo Mobile has recently developed Megaphone, a paired-down version of the Echo platform aimed at media houses.

Megaphone was created with radio stations in mind to vastly broaden the scope of public discourse to the everyday person. Through partnerships with local media organizations, Megaphone aims to enable anyone with a basic phone, especially those who cannot yet access social media platforms, to share opinions, report issues, and make their voice heard. A fully functioning prototype product has been built and was used for pilot testing with Ghetto Radio, a popular Nairobi radio station. The platform allowed Ghetto Radio to play people's thoughts on air, gather ideas for future shows, and gauge listenership. Megaphone will be used in conjunction with several radio stations in Kenya focused on the upcoming August presidential election. The platform will be used as a tool for community members to discuss the political issues important to them such as health and sanitation, community engagement, and youth employment. By giving communities in Kenya a voice through Megaphone, Echo Mobile hopes to facilitate an all-inclusive conversation for decision-makers to be aware of what matters most to their electorate.

#PeaceTechDataViz

Extreme Poverty on the Decline

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The news often presents a bleak outlook on today's world, but a recent World Bank report belies this image. The number of people living on less than $1.90 a day has fallen dramatically in almost every region since 1990. The largest decrease can be seen in East Asia and Pacific where the economic rise of China reduced the region's overall extreme poverty rate by 56%.

PeaceTech Pulse

What we're listening to, reading, watching and following this week.

Geek Heresy - Hype vs. Hope

One of the thought leaders from whom I have drawn inspiration recently is Kentaro Toyama, a computer scientist, international development researcher, and professor at the University of Michigan’s School of Information. Toyama’s book, Geek Heresy, provides a refreshingly skeptical assessment of the idea that technological solutions can address complex and persistent social issues such as poverty. Having worked for more than a decade with Microsoft in India to develop electronic devices to support under-resourced schools and digital platforms in remote communities, Toyama could easily be an evangelist for the ICT4D (information and communication technologies for development) community. Instead, he offers the conclusion that no technology – no matter how impressive – will cause social change on its own.

Toyama’s warning not to believe the hype resonates for me as an important reminder. Technology is not and need not be a main driver of social progress; it is an amplifier. PeaceTech Lab was founded on the idea that technology can play a valuable and integral role in supporting peacebuilding processes. In our field work, we focus on locally-driven solutions and building capacity for organizations to incorporate technology as they see fit. In South Sudan, for instance, our work to monitor and counter hate speech integrates surveys and dialogues with South Sudanese diaspora communities to understand complex issues surrounding the conflict. These interactions are essential to inform the technology aspect of this project – social media monitoring and analysis – and to ensure that any use of technology is grounded in deep knowledge of the context.

As Toyama asserts, and as we’ve recognized in our own work, while technology can play a powerful role in amplifying existing efforts, solutions to complex social issues must be driven by the people intimately familiar with these problems and best placed to solve them. 

Commentary by Giselle Lopez | Senior Specialist | PeaceTech Lab

In the News

Nonprofits, Not Silicon Valley Startups, are Creating AI Apps for the Greater Good

Humanitarian applications of artificial intelligence are rare, and there's a new push to create tech tools focused on social change. But who's leading the charge? Think nonprofits, not Silicon Valley.
Mapping Mexico's Hidden Graves

More than 30,000 people have disappeared in Mexico since drug-related violence skyrocketed in 2006. To help families find missing relatives, a team of data scientists created a map that predicts which areas in Mexico are most likely to contain hidden graves. 

Demand for data scientists globally is expected to exceed supply by more than 50% in 2018. Though often deterred from entering this field, the future of data science may be dominated by females. 

Rough or uncut blood diamonds are notoriously easy to smuggle out of conflict-ridden Central African Republic, and the process has been made even simpler in the age of social media. 

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PeaceTech In Action

Stories from the field.

UnderstandLing is a Dutch startup that uses artificial intelligence (AI) to understand human behavior. The team uses interactions between humans and digital media such as websites, mobile devices, and social media to understand human interests and drivers of behavior. One of the core aspects involved in this process is analyzing social media discussions to understand the social climate of a particular country, area, or target group. Using their own AI software called CEMistry, UnderstandLing analyzes discussions between people in real-time using customizable dashboards and KPIs. They apply this software to track online discourse in discussions, gathering sentiment and emotions on social media and blogging sites to better understand current issues and events.

Together with Radio Netherlands Worldwide (RNW), UnderstandLing created a model to analyze the current unstable situation in Burundi through the CEMistry tool. Entitled Yaga Burundi, the project provided an outlet for Burundians on topics considered socially and politically taboo and was the first program in the world to analyze Kirundi, the nation’s native language. The discussions and web behavior of Burundi society were imported into CEMistry to find the sentiment, topic, and intention behind the words. Over 160,000 opinions were analyzed on eight vitally important societal topics. The project allowed RNW to understand the social and political feelings of their target audience and determine the root instigators of key events in Burundi. RNW then took the insights gathered by UnderstandLing to develop a refined content strategy for their in-country target audience. Yaga Burundi allowed Burundians to express their opinions in an environment marked by limited freedom of speech while simultaneously allowing RNW Media to identify opinions, interests, and tone of voice over time.

#PeaceTechDataViz

Food Insecure in the Face of War

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The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations estimates that 17 million people are living in emergency or crisis levels of food insecurity in Yemen, making the situation one of the worst hunger crises in the world. The civil war in Yemen began two years ago and continues to produce rampant instability both in the agricultural sector and throughout the country.

PeaceTech Pulse

What we're listening to, reading, watching and following this week.

Surviving the Hype: Using AI to Build Peace

The peacetech field spends a lot of time looking at technology through the lens of the hype cycle. Today’s miracle gadget is often tomorrow’s flash in the pan, but occasionally it returns the next month as a quietly successful service. Artificial intelligence is the latest concept to fall from the “peak of inflated expectations” into the “trough of disillusionment”, with many articles focusing its potential negative consequences and the “not quite there” nature of the field. A major test of AI that will determine whether it will have an impact on the field will be whether non-technical peacebuilding practitioners will be able to apply it to their field.

In recent months at PeaceTech Lab, I’ve encountered several groups seeking to apply AI - in particular, chatbots - to their respective work. PTX Costa Rica participants are learning to use Facebook messenger to build a chatbot for exploring politician’s stances on issues. A group of NDI-supported developers are exploring a chatbot to help victims of domestic abuse find access to shelters and a support network. In conversations with both these groups, I hear the same challenges: concerns over who owns the data, difficulties creating intuitive interfaces, issues with the service, and understanding context. If these teams -- who self-identify as non-technical practitioners -- find answers to their questions, it’s an indication that their tools may usable by the peacebuilding field at large.

Nonprofits are in a great place to explore the application of emerging technologies to social good purposes. This article highlights some impressive case studies of what can be done with the AI services. For the tools to survive the hype curve, the next step is to see whether ordinary peacebuilders can follow in their example.

Commentary by Derek Caelin | Specialist | PeaceTech Lab

In the News

How a Hashtag on Wednesdays is Fighting Iran's Dress Code for Women

Using #WhiteWednesdays, an Iranian activist is aiming to raise global awareness about women's rights in Iran by encouraging women to break the government's strict public dress code.

Acting in accordance with a recently enacted cybercrime bill, the Afghanistan government will soon begin blocking the online activities of extremist and terrorist groups operating on the country's lawless online world.

Though a refugee camp, Zaatari is essentially a small city and requires the same GIS services as any other city. A new UNHCR project aims to empower refugees living in the camp by teaching them the GIS services needed to sustain the ever-growing refugee population.
Delete Hate Speech or Pay Up, Germany Tells Social Media Companies

Freedom of expression or protecting the greater good? New law in Germany will force tech companies to pay large fines if they do not delete racist, illegal, or slanderous posts on their platforms within 24 hours.

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PeaceTech Pulse

What we're listening to, reading, watching, and following this week.

To Tackle the SDGs, Be Unreasonable

Today is an exciting one for the Lab -- it’s a day when we open our doors to 16 incredible businesses working to address each of the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals. We’re proud to co-host the Unreasonable Goals Global Summit, the culminating event in a two-week accelerator program supported by Unreasonable Institute, the U.S. State Department, Johnson & Johnson, Lowe’s, Thomson Reuters, Bluescape, and Amazon Web Services. These Unreasonable Goals partners are united by a common vision to help entrepreneurs with cutting-edge technologies and significant market traction maximize their impact on the SDGs.

Having started my career in the for-profit tech world, I love seeing businesses, nonprofits, and governments working together to solve the world’s toughest challenges. Indeed, just this week, Mathew Sweezey of Salesforce offered compelling reasons for why businesses hold the key to addressing problems such as extremist recruiting and radicalization. In his Observer piece, Matthew writes, “Efforts to stem radicalization are hitting a wall. We’re trying to fight a modern war with antiquated techniques. It’s like trying to fight helicopters with horses, and we’re the ones on horseback.” Progressive businesses, however, “have transitioned to a scalable process of direct individual engagement, powered by new technology and processes and geared for infinite noise.” Listening to the 16 Unreasonable Goals entrepreneurs present their plans for tackling everything from climate change to corruption, I’d say they’re coming through loud and clear.

Commentary by Twila Tschan | Communications Coordinator | PeaceTech Lab

#PeaceTechDataViz

MENA Means Sustainable Development

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The SDG Index and Dashboards Report was released this week. A report card for the 17 sustainable development goals, the data covers a myriad of regions around the globe, including the Middle East and North Africa. Several MENA countries face challenges related to gender equality, sustainable water management, and food security among others. The report further underscores the need for expanded investment in communication technologies in the region.

PeaceTech In Action

Stories from the field.

Nuestro Desarrollo

After 50 years of war, Colombia is starting the implementation of an ambitious peace deal between the Government and the FARC-EP guerrilla. "Participation" is one of the most used words in the agreement between the parties, and peacebuilding in the local areas will depend on the active participation of citizens in more than forty participatory spaces. One of the mechanisms included in the peace agreement is participatory budgeting, a process that allows local citizens to directly decide which projects should be carried out by the subnational governments with part of the local budget.

Although participatory budgeting has spread to more than 1700 cities worldwide and ICTs are increasingly being used to support participatory budgeting processes, technology has not been used in these scenarios to particularly foster peace. In this context, as part of her PhD research at the
Centre for Socio-Legal Studies at the University of Oxford and with the support of the Build Peace Fellows Programme and the Skoll Centre for Social Entrepreneurship, Diana Dajer and a team of local developers from Policéntrico are implementing a participatory research for action project in Medellín, Colombia, to design, pilot, and refine a participatory budgeting game and tech tool to help foster social inclusion, transparency, and trust in governmental processes.

The tool is called Our Development (Nuestro Desarrollo in Spanish) and was piloted in June 2017 to test some hypotheses concerning the use of technology for peace. Once the pilot phase finishes, the project aims to produce a participatory budgeting tech tool that could be licensed and scaled up in Medellín, other cities in Colombia, and worldwide. The results of the design and pilot phases of the tool will also be used to produce a report for practitioners with evidence-based recommendations and lessons learned from the project.

In the News


Recent terror attacks are far more common in the U.S. than in Europe, and Americans can thank geography and assimilation. PeaceTech Lab data was used in this USAToday piece  to illustrate the differences in levels of terror.
 
A team of international investigators sent to Mexico to unravel the mystery of 43 missing students was targeted by advanced spyware technology. This news adds to the list of officials targeted in Mexico's recent illicit spying offensive.

Just six years ago, cellphones were a luxury afforded only to the ultra rich and well-connected in one of Southeast Asia's poorest countries. Now, almost everyone in Myanmar is connected, and the app marketing is booming.

Juárez sees hundreds of its female residents disappear every year. A newly introduced app entitled 'No Estoy Sola' will bring immediate help to women in danger with just the touch of a button.

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We caught our earlier mistake and fixed it! Please enjoy this corrected version of our weekly Roundup.
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WEEKLY ROUNDUP

Working for individuals and communities affected by conflict, using technology, media, & data to accelerate local peacebuilding efforts. 

PeaceTech In Action

Stories from the field.

Nuestro Desarrollo

After 50 years of war, Colombia is starting the implementation of an ambitious peace deal between the Government and the FARC-EP guerrilla. "Participation" is one of the most used words in the agreement between the parties, and peacebuilding in the local areas will depend on the active participation of citizens in more than forty participatory spaces. One of the mechanisms included in the peace agreement is participatory budgeting, a process that allows local citizens to directly decide which projects should be carried out by the subnational governments with part of the local budget.

Although participatory budgeting has spread to more than 1700 cities worldwide and ICTs are increasingly being used to support participatory budgeting processes, technology has not been used in these scenarios to particularly foster peace. In this context, as part of her PhD research at the
Centre for Socio-Legal Studies at the University of Oxford and with the support of the Build Peace Fellows Programme and the Skoll Centre for Social Entrepreneurship, Diana Dajer and a team of local developers from Policéntrico are implementing a participatory research for action project in Medellín, Colombia, to design, pilot, and refine a participatory budgeting game and tech tool to help foster social inclusion, transparency, and trust in governmental processes.

The tool is called Our Development (Nuestro Desarrollo in Spanish) and was piloted in June 2017 to test some hypotheses concerning the use of technology for peace. Once the pilot phase finishes, the project aims to produce a participatory budgeting tech tool that could be licensed and scaled up in Medellín, other cities in Colombia, and worldwide. The results of the design and pilot phases of the tool will also be used to produce a report for practitioners with evidence-based recommendations and lessons learned from the project.

#PeaceTechDataViz

MENA Means Sustainable Development

hgfjhgfjh
The SDG Index and Dashboards Report was released this week. A report card for the 17 sustainable development goals, the data covers a myriad of regions around the globe, including the Middle East and North Africa. Several MENA countries face challenges related to gender equality, sustainable water management, and food security among others. The report further underscores the need for expanded investment in communication technologies in the region.

PeaceTech Pulse

What we're listening to, reading, watching, and following this week.

To Tackle the SDGs, Be Unreasonable

Today is an exciting one for the Lab -- it’s a day when we open our doors to 16 incredible businesses working to address each of the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals. We’re proud to co-host the Unreasonable Goals Global Summit, the culminating event in a two-week accelerator program supported by Unreasonable Institute, the U.S. State Department, Johnson & Johnson, Lowe’s, Thomson Reuters, Bluescape, and Amazon Web Services. These Unreasonable Goals partners are united by a common vision to help entrepreneurs with cutting-edge technologies and significant market traction maximize their impact on the SDGs.

Having started my career in the for-profit tech world, I love seeing businesses, nonprofits, and governments working together to solve the world’s toughest challenges. Indeed, just this week, Mathew Sweezey of Salesforce offered compelling reasons for why businesses hold the key to addressing problems such as extremist recruiting and radicalization. In his Observer piece, Matthew writes, “Efforts to stem radicalization are hitting a wall. We’re trying to fight a modern war with antiquated techniques. It’s like trying to fight helicopters with horses, and we’re the ones on horseback.” Progressive businesses, however, “have transitioned to a scalable process of direct individual engagement, powered by new technology and processes and geared for infinite noise.” Listening to the 16 Unreasonable Goals entrepreneurs present their plans for tackling everything from climate change to corruption, I’d say they’re coming through loud and clear.

Commentary by Twila Tschan | Communications Coordinator | PeaceTech Lab

In the News


Recent terror attacks are far more common in the U.S. than in Europe, and Americans can thank geography and assimilation. PeaceTech Lab data was used in this USAToday piece to illustrate the differences in levels of terror.
 
A team of international investigators sent to Mexico to unravel the mystery of 43 missing students was targeted by advanced spyware technology. This news adds to the list of officials targeted in Mexico's recent illicit spying offensive.

Just six years ago, cellphones were a luxury afforded only to the ultra rich and well-connected in one of Southeast Asia's poorest countries. Now, almost everyone in Myanmar is connected, and the app marketing is booming.

Juárez sees hundreds of its female residents disappear every year. A newly introduced app entitled 'No Estoy Sola' will bring immediate help to women in danger with just the touch of a button.

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WEEKLY ROUNDUP

Working for individuals and communities affected by conflict, using technology, media, & data to accelerate local peacebuilding efforts. 

PeaceTech In Action

Stories from the field.

WeRobotics is a not-for-profit organization with a mandate to scale the impact of development projects in countries across multiple sectors. WeRobotics achieves this by localizing appropriate robotics solutions - such as drones and robots - for data collection. In many cases, robotics technologies can collect unique data more efficiently and productively than traditional technologies and can operate in areas with limited ground infrastructure. Most recently, WeRobotics has shifted their focus to the Zika virus.

Mosquitoes are responsible for the transmission of malaria, dengue fever, chikungunya, and Zika. In Fall 2016, WeRobotics secured a grant from USAID aimed at reducing Zika incidence and related threats. The project will combine the Sterile Insect Technique (SIT) with the aerial drone release of sterilized male mosquitoes to reduce the overall population of mosquitos in localized areas. SIT allows populations of human disease vectors to be managed using less insecticide. According to participants at a recent USAID workshop on Zika, the release of sterilized mosquitoes has in some cases reduced mosquito populations by 90%. WeRobotics aims to field test this program in Peru and is developing an app that will be used to control the mosquito release mechanism.

WeRobotics also has projects focused on humanitarian aid, environmental protection, and global development and has dedicated “Flying Labs” in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. The Executive Director and Co-Founder of WeRobotics, Patrick Meier, is passionate about peacetech and is internationally recognized for his work. Patrick says, “I became deeply involved in the field of conflict early warning about 15 years ago, leveraging new methodologies and technologies at the time to detect and respond to early signs of conflict in the Horn of Africa and later in Asia, Latin America, and the South Pacific. In 2006, I shifted my focus to humanitarian technology and most recently to humanitarian robotics. But I've also kept a strong interest in peacetech . . . we'd welcome any opportunities from this community to explore how robotics could support and scale peacebuilding efforts across the world."

#PeaceTechDataViz

2G, 3G & 4G Refugees in East Africa
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Inundated with refugees, the Middle East and Europe are often the focal point of the global refugee crisis. Yet over a quarter of the world's refugees reside in Sub-Saharan Africa, and technological solutions to resolve the crisis are less frequently applied to this region. Why is this the case? Benjamin Hounsell discusses facts and rumors concerning technology in East Africa's refugee camps. 

PeaceTech Pulse

What we're listening to, reading, watching, and following this week.

To Build Peace, Focus on Ground Truth

Few books have stuck with me as well as Ghost Wars by Steve Coll. It provides an unparalleled look into how American policy decisions towards Afghanistan and South Asia have contributed to the intractable conflict that continues to this day; it offers insightful lessons for anyone interested in the field of international relations and peacebuilding.

In Ghost Wars, Coll deftly outlines the consequences of American decision-making during the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan and the manner — across different administrations — in which the U.S. often failed to maintain a coherent policy towards Afghanistan and South Asia. This is perhaps best illustrated by the  lack of Pashto and Dari speakers available within U.S. government entities during the 1990s. In this context, the United States was deprived of critical information about events happening on the ground.

Ghost Wars offers an important emphasis on the need for international actors to focus on ground truth and develop an understanding of the culture, history, and actors of the area in which they are operating. Advances in information communication technology (ICT) have created new avenues for actors across the globe to connect. However, the challenge of identifying local partners and mapping the complex network of actors and their discrete agendas remains the same, if not larger as ICT increases the amount of noise. Ultimately, it is my sense that effective peacebuilding requires a fine mix of diplomacy, relationship management, and healthy skepticism, supported by a robust understanding of a country’s history, culture, and power structures.

Commentary by Rodrigo de las Casas | groundTruth Intern | PeaceTech Lab

In the News


Know of an organization focused on using technology to instill peace, make communities safer, or prevent violent conflict? The Lab wants them to apply for our next Accelerator cohort! Applications due by August 8th.
 
New laws in Australia will force tech companies to decode encrypted messages on their platforms. The legislation will allow law enforcement officials to read previously scrambled messages and will be used to fight extremism and crime.
 
A team of teenage girls from Afghanistan were determined to travel to the U.S. to present their tech ideas in an international robotics competition. Originally denied visas, the girls were finally admitted after an international outcry. This is their story.

Telegram, a messaging platform popular among Islamic State sympathizers, was recently blocked by the Indonesian government. The move comes amid heightened fear of IS attacks in the country.

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PeaceTech In Action

Stories from the field.


Meeting the Needs of Refugees

Day-by-day, the refugee crisis grows, and week-by-week, we stand by believing that there is very little we, as average citizens, can do to help. NeedsList is flipping this notion on its head.

Just a year old, NeedsList is a virtual humanitarian aid marketplace that allows you, the supporter, to purchase products and services for refugees in need. These products are purchased online through local, in-country suppliers who then quickly and efficiently ship these items to organizations working on the frontlines of the crisis. Some of the products available for purchase include underwear, notebooks, SIMcards, and diapers. The process is transparent, streamlined, and solves urgent supply and demand issues much faster than traditional relief methods. NeedsList saves NGOs months of time and saves supporters money on shipping costs. The platform is currently in beta-testing with organizations working in Greece, France, Italy, Turkey, and the U.S.

NeedsList has met over 20,000 needs in four countries since its founding in August 2016. This amount will only continue to grow. What’s unique about NeedsList is its innovative approach to fulfilling supply needs. The organization closely vets the NGOs and suppliers it works with to ensure a corruption-free process, and, because it collaborates with local suppliers, NeedsList is helping economies at the ground level. Overall, this tech tool takes some of the burden off of NGOs working in the field. One quote by co-founder Amanda Levinson perfectly sums up the mission of NeedsList: "If you want to support innovation, look to the grassroots."

#PeaceTechDataViz

Conflict - Sadly - Keeps the Doctor Away

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DTP - the vaccine that protects kids from diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis - is seeing falling rates in conflict-affected countries. Though not the only one impacted by violence, Syria is the perfect example of how warfare impacts the health of children. The civil war has destroyed most healthcare infrastructure, including hospitals and supply lines. It will likely take years for vaccine rates to normalize in each of these countries even after fighting ends.

PeaceTech Pulse

What we're listening to, reading, watching, and following this week.

A Dedication to an Inspiration

This week's PeaceTech Pulse is dedicated to remembering the life of Ginny Bouvier, a beloved colleague at the U.S. Institute of Peace who sadly passed away after a prolonged illness. Ginny led an inspiring life and was the driving force behind USIP's peacebuilding work in Colombia for more than a decade.

She was well-respected across Colombia -- so much so, that she was among the few foreign guests invited to attend the signing ceremony in Cartagena to witness the final peace agreement between Colombia’s government and the FARC. The signing brought an end to the longest-running insurgency in the Western Hemisphere.


U.S. Congressman Jim McGovern, a Massachusetts Democrat who is a senior member of the House of Representatives, lauded Ginny in a floor speech on July 28. “Around the world, but especially in Colombia, she has brought together people from different points of view, different walks of life, the powerful and the marginalized. She has worked alongside them to find common ground and common purpose in building peace,” he said.

She will always be an inspiration to PeaceTech Lab and in all the work that we do in Colombia and beyond.

Commentary by Tim Receveur | Director, PeaceTech Exchanges | PeaceTech Lab

In the News

 
Facebook deleted a woman's post describing a racist encounter in a grocery store. The company is facing its biggest free speech challenge yet amid concerns over its role in spreading violent rhetoric.

Sure, A.I. technology has mastered gaming, but what's its use for the real world? The answer appears to be "very little." Artificial intelligence can be used to better the world, but to reach that, there needs to be a shift in the thought process.
 
The world has an ambitious goal to eliminate extreme poverty by 2030, but how can this be achieved? The key is gathering reliable data through the use of innovative technology.

The online video portal will soon begin using machine learning technology to detect and remove terrorist videos from its platform. The move will make catching extreme content easier and more effective.

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PeaceTech In Action

Stories from the field.


Meeting the Needs of Refugees

Day-by-day, the refugee crisis grows, and week-by-week, we stand by believing that there is very little we, as average citizens, can do to help. NeedsList is flipping this notion on its head.

Just a year old, NeedsList is a virtual humanitarian aid marketplace that allows you, the supporter, to purchase products and services for refugees in need. These products are purchased online through local, in-country suppliers who then quickly and efficiently ship these items to organizations working on the frontlines of the crisis. Some of the products available for purchase include underwear, notebooks, SIMcards, and diapers. The process is transparent, streamlined, and solves urgent supply and demand issues much faster than traditional relief methods. NeedsList saves NGOs months of time and saves supporters money on shipping costs. The platform is currently in beta-testing with organizations working in Greece, France, Italy, Turkey, and the U.S.

NeedsList has met over 20,000 needs in four countries since its founding in August 2016. This amount will only continue to grow. What’s unique about NeedsList is its innovative approach to fulfilling supply needs. The organization closely vets the NGOs and suppliers it works with to ensure a corruption-free process, and, because it collaborates with local suppliers, NeedsList is helping economies at the ground level. Overall, this tech tool takes some of the burden off of NGOs working in the field. One quote by co-founder Amanda Levinson perfectly sums up the mission of NeedsList: "If you want to support innovation, look to the grassroots."

#PeaceTechDataViz

Conflict - Sadly - Keeps the Doctor Away

hgfjhgfjh
DTP - the vaccine that protects kids from diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis - is seeing falling rates in conflict-affected countries. Though not the only one impacted by violence, Syria is the perfect example of how warfare impacts the health of children. The civil war has destroyed most healthcare infrastructure, including hospitals and supply lines. It will likely take years for vaccine rates to normalize in each of these countries even after fighting ends.

PeaceTech Pulse

What we're listening to, reading, watching, and following this week.

A Dedication to an Inspiration

This week's PeaceTech Pulse is dedicated to remembering the life of Ginny Bouvier, a beloved colleague at the U.S. Institute of Peace who sadly passed away after a prolonged illness. Ginny led an inspiring life and was the driving force behind USIP's peacebuilding work in Colombia for more than a decade.

She was well-respected across Colombia -- so much so, that she was among the few foreign guests invited to attend the signing ceremony in Cartagena to witness the final peace agreement between Colombia’s government and the FARC.
The signing brought an end to the longest-running insurgency in the Western Hemisphere.

U.S. Congressman Jim McGovern, a Massachusetts Democrat who is a senior member of the House of Representatives, lauded Ginny in a floor speech on July 28. “Around the world, but especially in Colombia, she has brought together people from different points of view, different walks of life, the powerful and the marginalized. She has worked alongside them to find common ground and common purpose in building peace,” he said.

She will always be an inspiration to PeaceTech Lab and in all the work that we do in Colombia and beyond.

Commentary by Tim Receveur | Director, PeaceTech Exchanges | PeaceTech Lab

In the News

 
Facebook deleted a woman's post describing a racist encounter in a grocery store. The company is facing its biggest free speech challenge yet amid concerns over its role in spreading violent rhetoric.

Sure, A.I. technology has mastered gaming, but what's its use for the real world? The answer appears to be "very little." Artificial intelligence can be used to better the world, but to reach that, there needs to be a shift in the thought process.
 
The world has an ambitious goal to eliminate extreme poverty by 2030, but how can this be achieved? The key is gathering reliable data through the use of innovative technology.

The online video portal will soon begin using machine learning technology to detect and remove terrorist videos from its platform. The move will make catching extreme content easier and more effective.

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Today we’re celebrating our 100th Roundup with a special message for our readers:

At PeaceTech Lab we’re working every day to build a more peaceful world. Our Roundup tries to highlight the positive stories that may get missed elsewhere. Whether you’ve read 100, 10, or just 1 issue of the Roundup, we’re happy you’re a part of it.

This August, we’re raising funds to sustain the Roundup and other Lab activities. If you’ve had your day brightened, mind challenged, or heart inspired will you consider making a small financial contribution?

Thank you for being with us on this journey. Here’s to 100 more!

WEEKLY ROUNDUP

 Working to reduce violent conflict using technology, media, and data to accelerate and scale peacebuilding efforts.

PeaceTech In Action

Stories from the field.

Everyone Should Jihusishe na Amani

While the world watches and waits for the August 8th Kenyan election results, many organizations are working on the frontlines in Kenya to build peace and prevent violent conflict. As PeaceTech Lab celebrates its 100th issue of the weekly RoundUp, we’re highlighting the work we’re doing in Kenya to stop hate speech, prevent violence, and build peace during this fragile election period.

PeaceTech Lab Africa has partnered with Mercy Corps and the Institute for Social Accountability (TISA) to operate an SMS-based early warning and response system for the 2017 Kenya election. Using TISA's platform, Jihusishe na Amani - meaning “take action for peace” - works to prevent violence through the use of SMS technology. Individuals can text in reports on election-related tension or concerns, rumors, hate speech, and violence. Once reports are received, PeaceTech Lab Africa and TISA experts work with trusted local community members to confirm the veracity of reports. After they are either confirmed or denied, the reports are disseminated back into the communities, escalated to local authorities in cases of immediate threats, and gathered for public viewing on the Ushahidi-supported Uchaguzi platform. Targeted peace messages are also pushed out to affected communities. The program currently has 150,000 subscribers and operates in Kisumu, Nakuru, Nandi, and Nairobi counties. Hundreds of reports on election concerns ranging from security and political rallying to staffing and administrative issues have been gathered on the platform. PeaceTech Lab and TISA will continue to operate in Kenya in the coming days in order to monitor and respond quickly and efficiently to outbreaks of election violence.

Jihusishe na Amani and Uchaguzi are more than just cool online tech tools; they’re directly preventing violence and creating trust among community members in Kenya. When the platform, for example, received concerned reports of unknown youth wandering near a local town, the authorities were alerted, and tensions were quickly reduced after discovering they were searching for lost cattle. Part of Africa’s growing peacetech movement, the importance of SMS, mapping, and data visualization as conflict prevention tools will only continue to rise. However, the real test for platforms like Jihusishe na Amani and Uchaguzi will be in their ability to prevent violence post-election. The platform continues to receive reports concerning the situation on the ground every hour. With a history of election violence, tensions are simmering in some neighborhoods, but technology may be able to prevent Kenya from repeating history.

#PeaceTechDataViz

Peacebuilding Saves Lives & Money

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Understanding the impact and cost-effectiveness of peacebuilding is essential to achieving long-term stability and peace. The Institute for Economics and Peace found that increasing funding for peacebuilding activities - or the 'peace scenario' represented in this graphic - would prevent countries from relapsing into conflict while bringing huge economic benefits into the global economy. 

PeaceTech Pulse

What we're listening to, reading, watching, and following this week.

Peacetech Forges a Path Through Chaos

It has been quite hard, lately, for even the most casual observers of world affairs to avoid talk of hate speech and disinformation. Scroll through a typical newsfeed or media outlet’s welcome page, and terms like “fake news” and “alt-right” appear with alarming regularity. In a media environment where the cost of spreading information is low and potential impact is high, the importance of vetting online-sourced content has never been greater. Today, anyone with an Internet connection and a modicum of cash can flood social media with hate-filled messages and false news stories, undercutting social trust and adulterating political dialogue in the process.

But just as technology helped create this problem, it may also hold the key to solving it. As you read earlier, PeaceTech Lab has deployed an SMS service enabling 175,000 Kenyans to verify news as they receive it, preventing rumor-based political violence in the process. Google and Jigsaw developers, meanwhile, are working on a machine learning platform called “Perspective,” which they hope will one day reduce “toxicity” in online speech. And last year, an NYU graduate student reported that he had developed a Twitter bot capable of influencing people’s online language and behavior for the better.

And so, despite the ethos of our times – bots, sockpuppets, and electoral meddling notwithstanding – peacetech offers us a path forward through the chaos of the modern information space. I believe in the field’s potential, and I think you should, too.

Commentary by Daniel Frey | groundTruth Intern | PeaceTech Lab

In the News


Tech companies are rethinking how they approach the developing world, creating some winners and losers. Products should focus not on text but on images, voice, and video as the market for technology in the developing world grows.

With conflicts raging worldwide, the need for technology solutions to resolve crises is growing. Though not an end in itself, smartphones apps such as WhatsApp can aid in development, prevent conflict, and install peace worldwide.
 
With a history of election violence, there is concern that Kenya could relapse into conflict. Organizations are turning to technology to prevent violence during this volatile election period, and PeaceTech Lab is joining the game. Check out our early warning & response work in Kenya.

Applications for blockchain technology are developing at lightning speeds. Most famous for its use in Bitcoin, the technology actually has enormous potential for humanitarian organizations and the global good.

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Our Roundup reaches people around the world, many of whom are active peacebuilders in their community. It’s a crucial bridge we use to continue growing the PeaceTech Lab mission. This diverse group is united by their passion for peace, and this August, you can help us to continue serving them.

 

Donate to the Lab today.

WEEKLY ROUNDUP

 Working to reduce violent conflict using technology, media, and data to accelerate and scale peacebuilding efforts.

PeaceTech In Action

Stories from the field.

Map Shows the Path to Peace

The Fund for Peace (FFP) is an independent, nonpartisan, 501(c)(3) non-profit research and educational organization that works to prevent violent conflict and promote sustainable security through research, training, and civil society engagement. A leader in the conflict assessment and early warning fields, FFP focuses on the problems of weak and failing states with the objective to create practical tools and approaches for conflict mitigation. One of FFP’s primary focuses is Nigeria. With a little help from technology, the Fund for Peace is working to prevent violence in a historically violent area: the oil-rich Niger Delta.

FFP’s Partners for Peace (P4P) project is a network of women, men, and youth all aiming to bring peace to the Niger Delta region. Since August 2013, more than 1,200 traditional rulers, civil society actors, government officials, community leaders, and students have come together to empower the communities most affected by violence. The result was the creation of nine state-level chapters in the Niger Delta and dozens of sub-chapters. Hundreds have been trained in conflict assessment techniques and are now actively implementing peacebuilding projects to address communal conflict, land disputes, political tensions, and youth restiveness across the region.

To strengthen local participatory conflict assessment ideas and further bolster the P4P project, FFP partnered with the Foundation for Partnerships in the Niger Delta (PIND) to build an online Peace Map. This tech tool integrates data on conflict from a wide range of sources (over 14,000 incidents) and lists the locations of peace agents (over 420 initiatives to date) to prevent damaging flare-ups of violence. In 2014, drawing on Peace Map data, each network chapter performed local conflict assessments to identify hotspots and analyze the root causes of conflict in their communities. Beyond its usefulness on the frontlines, the Peace Map also serves to assist policymakers and advocates both within Nigeria and around the world.

#PeaceTechDataViz

The Youth Revolution

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70% of the world's youth are online according to a report by the Geneva-based International Telecommunications Union. The number of young internet surfers is much higher in developed countries than in developing, where percentages hover at 94% and 67% respectively. In news that is likely unsurprising, 9 out of 10 youth not online reside in Africa or Asia and the Pacific. These numbers will likely change, however, as burgeoning youth populations begin to enter the job market.

PeaceTech Pulse

What we're listening to, reading, watching, and following this week.

Reflections on Charlottesville

Like many of you, I have been pondering the events of last weekend in Charlottesville, Virginia (USA) . The outpouring of outrage, frustration and deepening divides in our society has made this a confusing and surrealistic time in the US’s already turbulent history.   
 
So how do we as a nation hold tight to our rights to express ourselves freely while respecting each other as citizens? This thoughtful opinion piece from the head of PEN America, Suzanne Nossel, hits on five factors on college campuses that help drive those impulses to quiet voices perceived as harmful. And she rightfully argues why, although understandable, this is misguided.

In our own work at PeaceTech Lab, we are exploring the kind of speech that can drive mass violence such as we saw last weekend in the US, and in other places around the world. We’re using the same technology tools - social media and data-driven analysis - to better understand the who, what, why and where of how hurtful words can spur real-world harm. We are honing machine learning tools to help us anticipate possible outbreaks of violence based on patterns and keywords. This will be most effective when we can hand that information off to responders on the ground who can head off the violence before it starts. A work in progress, but badly needed progress on one of the more divisive issues of our time.

Commentary by Nancy Payne | Vice President | PeaceTech Lab

In the News

 
The demand for tech talent can no longer be met only by men, especially in Nigeria where the tech scene is rising. Women in Nigeria are meeting the challenge and changing their male-dominated tech world.

YouTube is clamping down on extremist content, but its AI tool is unintentionally causing harm to efforts to document war crimes and preserve history.

The tech world is walking a narrow line between free speech and hate speech. In the wake of Charlottesville, the issue has become that much more pressing. Tech companies have the tools to fight hate speech, but should they use them?
 
The United Nations has so far been unable to regulate cyberspace, and a new group is stepping up to fill the void. The question, it seems, is not if international law applies to cyberspace but how.

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PeaceTech In Action    Commentary   PeaceTech News Roundup

PeaceTech In Action

                            Image Credit: PopTech Blog
 
Rachel Brown - Founder and
CEO of Sisi Ni Amani
 
Rachel Brown is the Founder and CEO of Sisi Ni Amani, a Kenyan NGO that uses mobile technology to support grassroots peacebuilding efforts and civic engagement. Its goal is to utilize communication tools to provide credible information, promote peace, and educate on civic engagement, which it was able to do during the 2013 Kenyan elections. Using the same tools that promoted hate speech and instigated violence during the 2007 Kenyan elections, Sisi Ni Amani used mobile devices and SMS messaging to proactively address individual incidents before they escalated. 

By tapping into these communication tools, Brown and her team were able to dispel rumors, provide people with actionable information, and reinforce the importance of peace during the 2013 elections. As Sisi Ni Amani continues to expand its projects and areas of impact, Brown and her team continue to demonstrate how easily accessible technology, such as a mobile device, can be impactful in mitigating conflict.

PeaceTech Commentary

Washington Post | Scott Higham & Ellen Nakashima | July 16, 2015
 
The Islamic State's use of social media is raising difficult questions for many U.S. firms: how to preserve global platforms that offer forums for expression while preventing groups such as the Islamic State from exploiting those free-speech principles to advance their terrorist campaign.
This article highlights how tech savvy terrorist groups have taken advantage of the open nature of the Internet to use social media to recruit new members and spread their propaganda. Balancing freedom of expression with security has been a common challenge faced by the PeaceTech community, civil society organizations, and governments around the world. It also puts companies like Facebook, Google, Twitter and YouTube in a difficult situation.

However, here at PeaceTech Lab we believe these tech giants can’t solve the problem alone. It’s time to work with the private sector, governments, media and civil society organizations to develop community-oriented approaches that counter extremist ideologies on these platforms. Locally-driven initiatives with a range of views beyond traditional security practitioners will offer far more alternatives to finding effective, sustainable solutions to combating online terrorism. How do you see locally-driven initiatives succeeding? Let us know on our Twitter or Facebook.

PeaceTech News Roundup

The 'Little Presidents' Who Deny Press Freedom by Attacking Journalists
The Guardian | Roy Greenslade | July 22, 2015
The press freedom watchdog, Reporters Without Borders, denounces the “little presidents” who publicly attack journalists and media outlets, arguing that journalists are "put under terrible pressure...for doing their job.” The survey says the style of attack varies from country to country but the goal remains the same – to gag information.
Anonymous Targets IS Sympathisers on Twitter
BBC | July 21, 2015
Hacktivist group Anonymous is ramping up efforts to tackle sympathisers of the Islamic State group on Twitter. It has published a list of Twitter accounts that it claims are spreading IS propaganda. To dilute the results people get when searching for IS, hacktavists are using images of Anime girls in connection with the group's name and slogans. 
ISIS’s Jihad Against WiFi
The Daily Beast | Michael Weiss | July 21, 2015
Like all totalitarian movements, ISIS demands not only absolute obedience but captive minds. It’s rather surprising, then, that it took the jihadist army this long to shut off the Internet. But that’s exactly what ISIS has just attempted, and it has banned WiFi in the city of Raqqa, ISIS’s de facto capital.
How Social Media Magnifies Sectarian Hatred in Lebanon
Al Arabiya | Diana Moukalled | July 20, 2015
Following the stabbing and death of George al-Reef in Beirut's Saifi area, comments on social networking sites exposed the sectarian tensions within Lebanon. Social networking websites have served as an open platform for incitement; as feelings of racism and hatred were unleashed and became part of ordinary conversation.
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The Lab's Roundup highlighting stories on technology, media, and data in peacebuilding.
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PeaceTech In Action  |  Commentary  |  PeaceTech News Roundup

PeaceTech In Action

Stories of peacebuilders using technology, media, and data in the field. 
                                Image Credit: James Novogrod / NBC News
 
Dlshad Othman – Creator of Amyta, Uvirtus, and Collabase
 
Dlshad Othman is a Syrian activist who has created multiple technology systems for the purposes of protection, information sharing, and human rights. A Foreign Policy piece by PeaceTech Lab's CEO Sheldon Himelfarb and Senior Manager Anand Varghese describes how Othman built Amyta, an app that sent subscribers text-message warnings of scud missiles launched by the Syrian government.

He also created Uvirtus, an encrypted computer operating system that allowed Syrians to securely post videos of their country’s conflict to Youtube. 
In his latest project called Collabase, Othman created a suite of collaboration tools used by human rights groups in the regions affected by the Islamic State. Through these projects, Othman has demonstrated that peace technology can be used in innovative ways to empower individuals in conflict regions.
 

PeaceTech Commentary

PeaceTech Lab staff provide analysis on an important trend in the news.
NPR | Paola Marizan | July 27, 2015

One team in southwestern Indiana who opposes the radical Islamist group is taking to the Web to reclaim the message of Islam. Dozens of four-minute Web episodes, targeting young people with questions about Islam and its relationship to violence, are being released by Reclamation Studios.
The counter messaging campaign #notinHisname by Reclamation Studies represents two important elements of #peacetech:
  1. Local, community-driven efforts are the only way to effectively and sustainably combat online terrorism. Individuals and local groups can offer the context that best counters inflammatory speech and violent interpretations groups such as ISIS use to identify and then recruit new members.
  2.  #peacetech can make an impact in both the US as well as conflict zones such as Egypt or Iraq. In a world where violent extremism can have a global reach, #peacetech can be used by citizens across the world committed to mitigating and resolving conflict.
How have you used, or seen people you know use, social media to help resolve conflict? Let us know on our Twitter or Facebook?

PeaceTech News Roundup

This week's compilation of the most important news stories highlighting the role of technology, media, and data in conflict zones. 
After Arab Spring, Journalism Briefly Flowered and then Withered
Washington Post | Dana Priest, Deidre McPhillips, & Katy June-Friesen | July 26, 2015
The Arab Spring was supposed to usher in an era of greater political inclusion and freedom, including press freedom. Instead, in every country but Tunisia, it has led to the opposite: the near-disappearance of independent news and opinion, especially about governments and their security forces.
Pakistani Journalists Continue to Face Attacks, Threats: Report
Pakistan Today | July 25, 2015
Pakis­ta­­ni journalists are being forced to flee or go into hiding to escape acts of violence and intimidation that usually go unpunished, Reporters Without Borders, an international media group, said in its recent report. The report complained that Pakistani authorities are failing to protect media personnel and are sometimes even responsible for these abuses.
Why Tyrants and Despots Love Social Media
Newsweek | Kevin Munger | July 24, 2015
We want to believe in magic bullets, hoping that the right technological advancement will empower people to successfully rise up. But repressive regimes can and do use social media to solidify their grip on power. As a result, the net effects of social media on the possibility of democratic revolution are at best ambiguous. 
Could Twitter Stop the Next Terrorist Attack?
WTOP | Anne Flaherty | July 24, 2015
Social media giants including Twitter, Yahoo, Facebook and Google are pushing back against Senate legislation that would require them to alert federal authorities of any terrorist activity. Tech officials say determining terrorist activity requires more context. An image of the Islamic State flag, for example, could appear in a news article as well as terrorist propaganda.
Hamas puts on New Face with English Website Launch
Al-Monitor | Adnan Abu Amer | July 24, 2015
Hamas has launched a new website in English in the hope of bolstering its communication with the West. Hamas’ English-language website allows Western Internet users to learn about its positions and news. The website also includes a forum that answers the questions posed by Westerners, and an archive.
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The Lab's Roundup highlighting stories on technology, media, and data in peacebuilding.
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PeaceTech In Action  |  Commentary  |  PeaceTech News Roundup

PeaceTech In Action

Stories of peacebuilders using technology, media, and data in the field. 
Peace Tech Exchange Myanmar Jan 13-15, 2015
PeaceTech Lab Youtube Channel
 
PeaceTech Exchange (PTX) Myanmar
 
When PeaceTech Lab’s Noel Dickover, Director of PeaceTech Data Networks, Theo Dolan, Director of PeaceMedia and PeaceTech Lab Africa, and Giselle Lopez, a Lab Specialist, traveled to Myanmar, they were convening one of PeaceTech Lab’s flagship programs – PeaceTech Exchanges. The goal of PTXs is to connect civil society with technologists in order to empower local actors to use low cost, easy-to-use technologies that can improve the efficacy of their work. As PeaceTech Lab's Giselle Lopez and Noel Dickover wrote, in the case of Myanmar, the aim was to counter dangerous speech as "episodes of violence are fueled, in part, by anti-Muslim rumors, misinformation and inflammatory accusations spread through social media." 

Through collaboration between Myanmar’s diverse civil society and experienced technologists, participants worked together to learn, devise, and use a range of online and low-tech approaches to counter dangerous speech. By creating a forum for this type of collaboration in partnership with MIDO, Phandeeyar, and USIP, PeaceTech Lab seeks to improve the capabilities of peacebuilders through the power of technology.
 
Be sure to watch the video above to get a glimpse into PTX Myanmar!

PeaceTech Commentary

PeaceTech Lab staff provide analysis on an important trend in the news.
The Guardian | Jamie Doward | August 1, 2015

Research has found that sensationalist media coverage of acts of terrorism results in more such acts being committed. [This] raises the possibility that media reports about a terrorist act can be viewed as a “warning” that follow-on attacks will be perpetrated in the near future.
Those who work with media in the peacebuilding field have long been aware of the relationship between media and conflict, but demonstrating and measuring the causal link between a news report and violence has often been a challenge. The study showcased by the article above reflects the growing efforts of the #peacetech field to monitor and assess the impact of media upon conflict.
 
If over-coverage of acts of violence is perceived as an issue, we as peacebuilders should also be aware of the positive role to be played by the media. Rather than focus on the acts of violence themselves, media organizations may better serve the public interest by covering the victims of violence and exploring the motivations of the aggressors. “Peace” journalism can not only cover the day-to-day events of a conflict, but delve into the root causes and explore perspectives that lead to conflict transformation or resolution. Perhaps the authors of the report discussed in the article above may also want to explore the impact of positive media in an enduring conflict.

What do you think is the role of professional media in reporting on conflict? Let us know on our
Twitter or Facebook.

PeaceTech News Roundup

This week's compilation of the most important news stories highlighting the role of technology, media, and data in conflict zones. 
South Sudan Security Closes Key Media Promoting Peace
Business Standard | August 4, 2015
South Sudan security forces have shut down a key newspaper and radio station after they promoted a proposed peace agreement aimed to end 19-months of civil war. Rights groups have repeatedly warned that security forces have cracked down on journalists, suffocating debate on how to end the civil war.
Islamic State’s Media Violence May Hurt the Group
Voice of America | Heather Murdock | August 3, 2015
The Islamic State's media team has made its most horrible acts into big news stories. Some observers say traditional media has strengthened the public image of the group. Other observers say the Islamic State’s media war has reached a turning point. They say the bloody videos are starting to ruin the group’s image.
Digital Solution Helps Shield Online Activists
Voice of America | Doug Bernard | August 3, 2015
The Amnesic Incognito Live System or “Tails” is providing a technological solution to help people around the world protect their online activities. It allows user to run files on a computer via a DVD or USB memory stick, without leaving evidence on the computer. A growing number of journalists and rights groups are using Tails.
Iraq's Jon Stewart Combats Jihadists With Laughs
Business Insider | Kamal Taha | August 2, 2015
An Iraqi television comedian is fighting the Islamic State group with biting satire to lift the aura of fear that is one of the jihadists' strongest weapons. Ahmad al-Basheer, who has been compared to Jon Stewart, says he aims to "break the image" of the jihadists and their declared puritanical enforcement of sharia laws.
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The Lab's Roundup highlighting stories on technology, media, and data in peacebuilding.
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PeaceTech In Action  |  Commentary  |  PeaceTech News Roundup

PeaceTech In Action

Stories of peacebuilders using technology, media, and data in the field. 

Bilal Ghalib – Bringing Hackerspaces to Iraq

Bilal Ghalib is an Iraqi-American who brought the do-it-yourself attitude and culture of sharing found in hackerspaces around the world to Baghdad, Iraq. Funded through a  Kickstarter page in collaboration with his organization GEMSI, Fikra Space is a place for scientists, engineers, artists, and entrepreneurs to collaborate on projects. As this  CNN article describes, it “is intended as a technological playground to promote collaborative innovation, entrepreneurship – and potentially solutions to some of the problems facing the country.”

At Fikra Space, individuals use technology for a variety of projects - from a crowdsourcing platform that helps Iraqis go through lengthy government procedures, to landmine detection systems, and a heart monitor that works without electricity. These ideas and projects can solve long-standing problems in Iraq, and create the foundation for businesses that improve society. Most importantly, in this country struggling to overcome sectarianism, the value of Fikra Space is that it is a place that is welcome to everyone and where collaboration and knowledge-sharing prevails.

PeaceTech Commentary

PeaceTech Lab staff provide analysis on an important trend in the news.
Think Progress | Beenish Ahmed | August 16, 2015
 
Given the dangers, both media outlets and nonprofit organizations are adopting new methods to ensure that journalists continue to report stories — not become them. One of them is a new app called Salama, which helps journalists specifically assess the risks they’ll face on certain assignments.
 


The article above showcases how actors are applying technology to protect journalists in dangerous environments like conflict zones.  Due to the circumstances they work in and the sensitive topics that they cover, journalists may have among the most dangerous jobs in the world. Technology cannot shield them from this danger, but it can inform them and help them to make decisions to improve their own safety.

The PeaceTech Lab is proud to be a partner in developing Salama because we feel the project so perfectly represents the cause of peacetech. A web tool, the app collects and processes data for the purpose of creating a stable, resilient media environment in otherwise dangerous territories. How might the process be applied to protect other vital actors in conflict zones? From Columbia to Syria, future users of Salama could be humanitarian workers, development specialists and social-good activists from across the spectrum of civil society. When technology enables these vital actors to operate more safely, they can only be more effective in pursuing the cause of peacebuilding.

PeaceTech News Roundup

This week's compilation of the most important news stories highlighting the role of technology, media, and data in conflict zones. 
Deutsche Welle | Joanna Mayhew | August 19, 2015
Organizations are aiming to counter this kind of violence by capitalizing on the country's rising use of technology and social media, partnering with entertainment workers, and engaging youth via large-scale campaigns. Last month, US non-profit The Asia Foundation (TAF) released three smartphone apps to improve safety and raise awareness under its VXW program. 
A Chicago satellite information service just won $20,000 to help broadcast education resources to people living around conflict zones in Ukraine. It's called Outernet. It's also been heralded as the solution to the three billion people worldwide still without Internet access.
Huffington Post | Conor McCormick-Cavanagh | August 12, 2015
The Libyan team produced Libyan Salon, a Libyan Arabic talk show, which brought in Libyan activists and politicians for interviews in order to raise awareness about the current constitution-writing program. The team, led by web designer Feras Saleh, also created Dustour J Wagtah, a mobile application designed to facilitate communication between Libyans and the constitution writers.
A pioneering SMS service and waste treatment system is dramatically bringing down sanitation costs in Senegal’s capital and, if successful, may even lead to customers making a small profit from their ordure instead of paying someone to take it away.
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The Lab's Roundup highlighting stories on technology, media, and data in peacebuilding.
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PeaceTech In Action  |  Commentary  |  PeaceTech News Roundup

PeaceTech In Action

Stories of peacebuilders using technology, media, and data in the field. 
Girls for Change India Middle School Pitch
   Girls For Change From Dharavi Youtube Channel
 
Young Girls Helping “Women Fight Back”
 
Ansuja Madival, Rani Shaikh, Mahek Shaikh, and Kusum Verma are young girls, aged between 10 and 15, who live in Asia’s largest slum, the Dharavi neighborhood of Mumbai. Residing in the very heart of deprivation and daily violence, these young girls were empowered to use technology to counter gender violence after participating in Technovation, a technology entrepreneurship program.

Working on a shared laptop, these girls accessed M.I.T’s do-it-yourself app-maker program to build an app known as
Women Fight Back. It is an app that can sound an alarm, send a help message to friends, and share an individual’s location. Just as these girls were empowered by technology, they are using technology to further empower other women who fear for their safety.

PeaceTech Commentary

PeaceTech Lab staff provide analysis on an important trend in the news.
TechCrunch | Lorelei Kelly | August 23, 2015
 
To prevent extremism from taking hold, either online or off, we’ll need whole societies to interact more broadly and deeply... Civic technology is helping communities stick together. Do citizens want responsive government and local control? Tech-savvy Smart Cities are building this opportunity.
 

 
Crowdsourcing Dystopia by Lorelei Kelly provides a look into violent extremism as a "malevolent form of crowdsourcing." She advocates that “local communities, families, peers and social networks" need to become "opportunistic, participatory, agile, adaptable, seductive and real time," like ISIS and Boko Haram - that this is necessary to  meet them and "dominate this space" as a method of countering violent extremism as part of a broader, a holistic type approach.  The article ends with a call to action - a global DevOps challenge for software and processes to assist local actors.

A key driver for the agile approach advocated involves a real time understanding of events and conversation surrounding issues of resiliency. This is often difficult for local organizations to acquire, both due to access to resources and technology to gain actionable awareness about the issues they care about. The international community could provide valuable scaffolding for local actors by providing access to real-time analytics around resiliency concerns. Such assistance might be publicly-available, continuously-updated data analytics products that bring together the conversation from social media around the drivers of radicalization. The results can then be visualized into useful charts and maps, which allow users a drill-down capability to understand the dynamics at a deeper level.

PeaceTech News Roundup

This week's compilation of the most important news stories highlighting the role of technology, media, and data in conflict zones. 
Reuters  | Kizito Makoye | August 25, 2015
In an effort to help Tanzania’s authorities secure village land rights, USAID launched a project to map geographic and demographic data using mobile phone technology, with the aim of speeding up land rights registration. The “Mobile Application to Secure Tenure (MAST)” project enables villagers to identify property boundaries and gather the information officials need to issue land ownership documents.
The New Technology of Financial Inclusion in Africa
PYMNTS.com | PYMNTS | August 25, 2015
As beneficial as mobile technology can be in facilitating financial inclusion in underdeveloped countries, it brings with it the complications of trying to conduct transactions across different carriers, devices and use cases. Mozido’s acquisition of Zimbabwe’s NettCash platform provides a level playing field for those who need access to such services but don’t have access to the latest mobile technologies.
Police plan tech to predict crime
The Times of India | Raj Shekhar | August 23, 2015
Once Enterprise Information Integration Solution or 'EI2S'—a system that puts petabytes of information from more than a dozen crime databases at police staff's fingertips—is ready, Delhi Police will be able to implement its 'Crime Forecast' plan to predict when and where criminals will strike.
Pro-Government Twitter Bots Try to Hush Mexican Activists
Wired | Klint Finley | August 23, 2015
Using social network visualization tools such as Flocker and Gephi, Escorcia has discovered a reliable way of detecting bot accounts by examining the number of connections a Twitter account has with other users. Bots have few connections, while real users tend to have far more. Using the software, he’s been able to identify many cases of bots used to sabotage protests.
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PeaceTech In Action  |  Commentary  |  PeaceTech News Roundup

PeaceTech In Action

Stories of peacebuilders using technology, media, and data in the field. 
                                Ibrahim Alsragey (on left) with technology trainer,
                               Jorge Luis Sierra (Image Credit:
ijnet.org)

Ibrahim Alsragey - Using Crowdsourcing
to Map Attacks Against Journalists in Iraq

When Ibrahim Alsragey attended the first PeaceTech Camp in Iraq, a precursor to the Lab’s PeaceTech Exchanges, he was in search for a better way to document violations and attacks against Iraqi journalists. The event, a collaborative workshop to help civil society use tech-based tools to further their goals, connected Alsragey with Jorge Luis Sierra, a technology trainer who developed online maps of attacks against journalists in Mexico. 

Inspired by this concept and after learning about Ushahidi’s Crowdmap tool, Alsragey launched an online map of attacks against Iraqi journalists that allowed his organization, the Iraqi Journalists Rights Defense Association (IJRDA), to immediately receive reports of new incidents and assess them for inclusion in the map. This not only allowed for documentation of attacks, but also a visualization of where the attacks were occurring and the identification of danger zones. Therefore demonstrating how these workshops improve civil society’s capabilities to reach their goals, and then some.

PeaceTech Commentary

PeaceTech Lab staff provide analysis on an important trend in the news.
Google Earth Is Helping Syrians Call In US Air Strikes
Defense One | Tim Fernholz | August 11, 2015

Google...provides the connecting tissue between U.S. forces and Kurdish militias fighting against ISIS in war-torn Syria...Kurdish militia fighters are using Android tablets and free Google mapping tools to track battle lines and coordinate close air support with the US military.
This article highlights how not only technology, but the purpose of its invention and mode of dissemination, can impact tactics in warfare. Where U.S. military satellite maps are restricted from use with non-NATO allied fighters, there are open and globally accessible tech and databases which are subject to no such disallowance. Military technology is designed with an exclusive group of users in mind, while open technologies are agnostic about users and applications. 

Many of these open products are developed with ease of use in mind as well. The article does not discuss any training required to use the Android tablets and Google mapping tools, but it does point out that their application by Kurds to identify Islamic State fighters in the field reduces the footprint of American ground forces. The take away from this article then, should not be that open tech is superior to U.S. Defense tech, but rather that its successful application is contingent upon circumstances. This is an important lesson for use of databases and technology in conflict in general. What works in one geopolitical context will not work in another.

PeaceTech News Roundup

This week's compilation of the most important news stories highlighting the role of technology, media, and data in conflict zones. 
Workshops Are Connecting Community Leaders In Conflict Zones With Tech Solutions
Huffington Post | Joseph Erbentraut | August 12, 2015
PeaceTech Exchanges, which are workshops hosted by USIP and PeaceTech Lab, are intended to connect community peace builders in conflict zones -- activists, civic leaders and even government officials -- with accessible tech platforms and like-minded partners who can help them transform their ideas into reality.
Hackers Target Dozens of Israeli Websites Over Release of Arson Suspects
Middle East Eye | August 11, 2015
Hackers targeted 54 websites run by the Israeli government. The hacking group Anonymous, a loose network of affiliated computer hackers, said in a statement that it had targeted Israeli government sites after authorities released all suspects who had been detained in relation to the murders of a Palestinian toddler and his father. 
Christian Science Monitor | Henry Gass | August 11, 2015
Social media has been a powerful recruitment tool for the Islamic State, but authorities now appear to be using it as a weapon against it, judging by the latest arrest of young Americans who authorities say were looking to join the terrorist group.
New York Times | August 10, 2015
The Defense Department earlier this summer released a comprehensive manual outlining its interpretation of the law of war. The 1,176-page document includes guidelines on the treatment of journalists covering armed conflicts that would make their work more dangerous, cumbersome and subject to censorship. 
International Business Times | Tim Marcin | August 10, 2015
To combat what it calls "Russian propaganda," the United States announced a $500,000 grant to train Russian-speaking journalists in the Baltic States. "As Russian propaganda and misinformation multiplies, the media in all three countries need the skills and tools to counter it with fact-based, credible news reporting," the notice said.
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PeaceTech In Action

Stories of peacebuilders using technology, media, and data in the field. 

Tarik Nesh-Nash - Using Online Platforms to Improve
Citizen Participation in the Legislative Process

Tarik Nesh-Nash is the founder of several online technology platforms that seek to improve the relationship between governments and citizens. In 2011, after the announcement by King Mohammed VI to launch constitutional reforms in Morocco, Nesh-Nash provided a forum for citizens to share their views on the direction of those reforms. Using Reforme.ma, a participatory website platform, citizens could show support or lack thereof for constitutional articles, suggest rewrites to articles, and propose new ones.  

Within two months, Tarik’s website had over 200,000 visitors and received more than 10,000 comments and proposals from citizens. The impact of this was examined in a study by Marseille University in France, which found that 40 percent of the proposals suggested in Reforme.ma were included in the new Constitution. As CEO of
GovRight, Nesh-Nash continues his work to provide online platforms for citizen participation in the legislative process through LegislationLab.org. These projects include the Chile Constitution, Kurdistan Constitution, New York City Council Bills, and Access Initiative

PeaceTech Commentary

PeaceTech Lab staff provide analysis on an important trend in the news.
The Express Tribune | August 27, 2015
 
"London’s top counter-terrorism officer Commander Richard Walton...said that the Muslim youth were coming up with ‘great ideas’ to counter extremist propaganda on the Internet."
Islamic State and al-Qaeda terrorists have increasingly used social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to spread their propaganda and recruit followers online. Finding a way to effectively respond to these threats has been a common challenge faced by the PeaceTech community, civil society organizations, and governments around the world. 

In London, the police have turned to social media-savvy young Muslims, a group they did not engage effectively with in the past, to counter online extremists. In an
op-ed in February, President Obama called on the government to assist Muslim entrepreneurs and youth who want to work with the private sector to develop social media tools to counter extremist narratives.

At
PeaceTech Lab, we believe that true innovation happens when different viewpoints intersect. We have developed the PeaceTech Exchanges (PTX) program to connect networks of talented young technologists and civil society and government leaders in conflict zones to help find innovative solutions to global challenges.

PeaceTech News Roundup

This week's compilation of the most important news stories highlighting the role of technology, media, and data in conflict zones. 
Demand to Open Doors to Syrians Spreading Online
BBC News | Mai Noman & Mike Wendling | September 2, 2015
From the UK to Saudi Arabia, the demand that Syrians and other refugees be accepted is being spread by vocal online campaigns. There's been a pattern of internet activism with a call to relax the rules and let refugees in, particularly Syrians fleeing the war.
Sharp Denials After Arrest of Vice News Journalists in Turkey
New York Times | Ceylan Yeginsu | September 1, 2015
Terrorism charges in Turkey against three Vice News journalists were denounced as baseless by media advocacy groups and a lawyer for the men. The journalists were formally arrested in southeast Turkey four days after being detained while covering the conflict between Kurdish separatists and the Turkish state.
Egypt Sentences Al-Jazeera Journalists to 3 years Prison
New York Post | August 29, 2015
An Egyptian court sentenced three Al-Jazeera English journalists to three years in prison, the latest twist in a long-running trial criticized worldwide by press freedom advocates and human rights activists. Amal Clooney said, “The verdict...sends a message that journalists can be locked up for simply doing their job, for telling the truth and reporting the news."
This ISIS Karaoke Twitter Account Shows Why Mocking ISIS Matters
Vox | Zack Beauchamp | August 29, 2015
The premise of @ISIS_karaoke is simple: Each tweet shows a photo of ISIS fighters or maybe an extremist rally, adds a few lyrics from a karaoke classic, and makes you imagine the murderous buffoons singing. The idea is to belittle and mock ISIS militants - it's a small way of eroding ISIS's power. 
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PeaceTech Lab Event | PeaceTech In Action  |  Commentary  |  PeaceTech News Roundup

PeaceTech Lab Event

Save the date for the upcoming PeaceTech Lab event.


After the Dust Settles: Social Media in Political Transitions

 

Part of the ‘Blogs & Bullets’ Initiative

 
When Egyptians, Ukrainians and others massed to demand democracy in recent years, the world noted their use of social media to build these movements. This event will focus on the ​role of social media in the understudied transitional phases following​ these​ ​often euphoric moments of protest.
 
RSVP Now for the Sept. 29th Event

PeaceTech In Action

Stories of peacebuilders using technology, media, and data in the field. 

Tahseen Alzrikiny - Using Storymaker
to Share the Story of Farmers in Iraq

When journalist Tahseen Alzrikiny attended a PeaceTech Exchange the Lab hosted in Iraq in 2013, he found the technology he needed to share the story of farmers  who were struggling with structural and environmental barriers in cultivating their rice crops. He was able to record, edit, and publish this story, called Red Seed, all from his mobile device using an app called Storymaker.

Alzrikiny won the Free Press Unlimited award for the Best Story of 2013, a prize given to stories that would have “remained untold without mobile storytelling.” The purpose of sharing such a story, as described in this article by PeaceTech Lab’s Tim Receuver, was to “create public awareness and, thus, pressure for the kind of government accountability that will be critical for ensuring Iraq has sufficient food supplies.”

PeaceTech Commentary

PeaceTech Lab staff provide analysis on an important trend in the news.

This Anime Girl Is The Cutest Way
The Internet Is Fighting ISIS

Buzzfeed | Ellie Hall | September 3, 2015

ISIS-chan, a crowd-sourced anime character, has become a popular anti-ISIS meme on social media...By drawing cute images of ISIS-chan and Photoshopping her into images released by the extremist group, activists aim to manipulate search results so that their images show up instead of ISIS propaganda and gory execution images.
'ISIS-chan' might provide little by way of military or tactical support to the anti-ISIS effort, but her playful take on the brutal realities of the terrorist group might actually help people cope with some of the toll that the group is taking. It's well known that humor can have a number of physiological and psychological benefits. As the Financial Times reports, comedy shows like Iraq's Mythical State have already employed humor as a way to help "people in the Middle East cope with the rise of a group that everyone fears and no one fully comprehends. Demystifying ISIS and ridiculing its deadly message creates a counter narrative on social media, where the group spreads its propaganda and hunts for recruits." 

In its online campaign, ISIS has a keen knack for tapping into the fears, aspirations, and the narratives of both its recruits and its victims around the world. The reason ISIS-chan and Mythical State might succeed in using that same logic against ISIS is that there's a ring of authenticity to their message -- they aren't dreamed up by an official at the State Department. Instead, they are created and shared by ordinary citizens.
PeaceTech Lab has used a similar strategy -- tapping into local voices to shape media messages -- in all of its media projects, and this is the only way a media-based CVE efforts will succeed.  

PeaceTech News Roundup

This week's compilation of the most important news stories highlighting the role of technology, media, and data in conflict zones. 
A Rare Time a Human Rights Issue Captivates PH Social Media
Rappler | Carlos H. Conde | September 9, 2015
Many Filipinos are venting their frustration on social media at what they perceive as a fundamental government failure to protect one of the country’s most vulnerable communities. The hashtags #StopKillingLumads and #StopLumadKillings are trending on Twitter, one of the rare instances in which a human rights issue has captivated the country’s social media. 
Lebanon’s Protests and Obsession With Media
Al-Arabiya | Diana Moukalled | September 9, 2015
“If reporters leave, God knows what they would do to us.” That was a common expression during live coverage of Lebanese youths protesting against the country’s political system under the slogan “You Stink.” One could sense real fear, which was sometimes exaggerated, of a confrontation between protestors and security forces if media outlets were not present to cover it.
National Security Cited in Crackdown on Journalism Worldwide
ABC News | Frank Jordans | September 8, 2015
The detention of three Vice News journalists in Turkey last month came with all-too-familiar charges of terror-related crimes. "We're seeing this more and more, this abuse of national security as an excuse to rein in bad news, basically," said David Kaye, the U.N.'s special investigator on freedom of speech. 
Spreading Peace, One Social Share at a Time
Jakarta Globe | September 4, 2015
Indonesia is one of the world’s leading users of social media, and peace-building NGO Search for Common Ground is tapping into that media craze to spread the love. The organization is holding a three-day event called “#CiptaDamai,” or “create peace,” that showcases young people’s multimedia creations promoting nonviolence and harmonious living.
How CrisisNET is Democratizing Crisis Data
Medium | Ken Banks | September 3, 2015
Simply put, CrisisNET is a platform for the world’s crisis data, giving journalists, data scientists, and other makers easy access to critical government, business, humanitarian, and crowdsourced information. By reducing the time it takes to access and use crisis data, CrisisNET removes the barriers to big data and empowers communities to create solutions to their own problems.
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PeaceTech Lab Event | PeaceTech In Action  |  Commentary  |  PeaceTech News Roundup

PeaceTech Lab Event

Save the date for the upcoming PeaceTech Lab event.

After the Dust Settles: Social Media in Political Transitions

 

Part of the ‘Blogs & Bullets’ Initiative

 
When Egyptians, Ukrainians and others massed to demand democracy in recent years, the world noted their use of social media to build these movements. This event will focus on the ​role of social media in the understudied transitional phases following​ these​ ​often euphoric moments of protest.
RSVP Now for the Sept. 29th Event

PeaceTech In Action

Stories of peacebuilders using technology, media, and data in the field. 
 
Sawa Shabab - Peacebuilding Radio Show

As PeaceTech Lab’s Director of PeaceMedia and PeaceTech Lab Africa, Theo Dolan has developed and coordinated, in partnership with Free Voice South Sudan and USIP, the production of a curriculum based peacebuilding radio program in South Sudan called Sawa Shabab. The purpose of Sawa Shabab, which means “Youth Together”, is to promote peaceful co-existence among youth from different cultural and tribal orientations, empower South Sudanese youth to be accountable and participatory citizens, and to foster gender equality. 

Through social media (Facebook and Twitter), calls, and SMS messaging, fans of the show are able to comment about each episode, demonstrating, as one producer remarked, that Sawa Shabab is able to express "not only what youth might be thinking, but how they can think about things differently." In an effort to sustain a wider peacebuilding impact, producers of the show launched a pilot program that trains fans in leadership, conflict analysis, and social media. These “youth mobilizers” then teamed up with youth groups in their communities to carry out peacebuilding activities. Thus, allowing fans to be positive changemakers like the characters they hear on the radio.

Listen to the show on
SoundCloud!

PeaceTech Commentary

PeaceTech Lab staff provide analysis on an important trend in the news.

Facebook has promised new measures to help Germany counter racism and anti-migrant abuse on the internet. Facebook says it will promote "counter speech" in Germany to combat such prejudices and will deploy experts to monitor hate speech and act against it. It was a response to German government concern about a spate of race hate messages.
Given that social media platforms can do much to support peacebuilding efforts, as well as propagate hate and violence, it is worth applauding Facebook's efforts to promote "counter speech" in Germany. The international community needs to work with people around the world, including the tech industry, to address hate speech before it leads to violence and acts as an obstacle to integration.

But we cannot entirely rely on Google, Facebook and others with global platforms to remove every hateful or violent message that arises, nor can we expect any one initiative to halt hate speech altogether.
PeaceTech Lab and its partners have found through our work in South Sudan  and Burma, that an effective way to combat hate speech is to overwhelm those negative messages with those that support peace, tolerance, diversity and respect. This is one of many approaches to address the growing issue of hate speech that threatens peace and stability across the globe. 

PeaceTech News Roundup

This week's compilation of the most important news stories highlighting the role of technology, media, and data in conflict zones. 
Techfugees Aims to Crowdsource Solutions to Europe’s Migrant Crisis
The Next Web | Amanda Connolly | September 14, 2015
Mike Butcher, Editor-at-large of Techcrunch, has launched “Techfugees” – a community for people in tech to share their responses to the refugee crisis. Butcher has encouraged members of the Facebook group to share information on things like hackathons, events, projects and products. He says it is a platform for solutions, not opinions, so off-topic posts will be removed.
Good Governance: A Driving Force for Peace in Fragile States
Devex | Roja Heydarpour | September 14, 2015
While technology is enabling organizations to make progress with natural resources, it is also affecting data collection across peacekeeping efforts. “Conflict countries were once considered data deserts and today they are data blizzards,” said Sheldon Himelfarb, president of PeaceTech Lab. The proliferation of cell phones, social media and internet access allows organizations to accurately gather information about the situation in conflict zones.
Syrian Refugees are Being Shamed for Using Cell Phones
Business Insider | Audra Williams | September 12, 2015
Instead of acknowledging the benefits of technology during a major, violent conflict, many social media users have scoffed at the image. Who needs an iPhone in a refugee camp? In reality, a working smartphone can be as crucial as food and shelter for those fleeing Syria. A smartphone can help increase one's chances of survival.
Government Ministers’ Emails Were Hacked by ISIS in Jihadi Plot to Assassinate Politicians and Royals Uncovered by GCHQ
Daily Mail | Imogen Calderwood | September 12, 2015
ISIS spies have hacked into the email accounts of a number of Bristish cabinet ministers in a sinister plot to assassinate politicians and members of the royal family. Nigel Inkster, an expert with the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS), warned that terror groups were ‘working hard to acquire cyber capabilities that potentially take things to the next level’.
What Dangers Have you Faced While Reporting in Your Country?
Washington Post | Zoeann Murphy | September 10, 2015
Journalists worldwide risk their lives daily in the name of press freedom. With the help of Committee to Protect Journalists, Reporters Without Borders, La Maison des Journalistes and Global Voices, we have asked 30 journalists and bloggers to tell us about instances in which they were threatened, attacked or censored for their reporting.
Donate now to help refugees and migrants, and Google will match your donation. Europe, the Middle East, and Northern Africa are facing the world's biggest refugee and migrant crisis since the Second World War. 
Donate here to support the work of PeaceTech Lab, a nonprofit working at the intersection of technology, media, and data to reduce violent conflict around the world. 
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The Lab's Roundup highlighting stories on technology, media, and data in peacebuilding.
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PeaceTech In Action

Stories of peacebuilders using technology, media, and data in the field. 
Peace in Our Pockets Trailer
Peace in Our Pockets

Peace in Our Pockets is a documentary that captures the power of mobile technology to mitigate violence and transform civic participation in Kenya. It shows how determined and innovative peacebuilders, such as Rachel Brown when she was with Sisi Ni Amani in Kenya,* used SMS messaging to dispel rumors and reinforce the importance of peace during the 2013 Kenyan elections. To see how basic mobile technology can unite and transform Kenyan communities, watch the trailer above or the full documentary here.

* In a previous
PeaceTech In Action story we highlighted Rachel Brown's work with Sisi Ni Amani and incorrectly implied her continued involvement with the organization. Rachel is no longer with Sisi Ni Amani. Additionally, Sisi Ni Amani Kenya is now under the umbrella of The Institute for Social Accountability (TISA), a civil society initiative committed to good governance in local development in Kenya.

PeaceTech Commentary

PeaceTech Lab staff provide analysis on an important trend in the news.

US Holocaust museum has unveiled a new genocide predictor tool - and identified the countries where mass killings are most likely to take place. Experts at the Holocaust Memorial Museum want to use the system to produce early warnings that can help governments decide where to concentrate their efforts.
The Holocaust Memorial Museum’s newly public Early Warning Project is a great step forward in harnessing data for the prevention of violence, specifically genocide. While the project will no doubt produce great work and valuable results, perhaps the most important element is their leadership in making their work public and shared. Government agencies, international organizations, and even NGOs have developed similar projects in the past but have not shared their models widely. That has limited their value.

Genocide, and violence of all kinds, are a complex problem. Smart data work can grapple with it, but getting the models right will be challenging. Making projects open and public will allow for more debate and testing of assumptions. In the short term, this may seem chaotic as more projects proliferate, but in the long run it will be a stronger and more reliable way to harness data for peace.  

PeaceTech News Roundup

This week's compilation of the most important news stories highlighting the role of technology, media, and data in conflict zones. 
A New Kind of Development Professional: The Development Engineer
Devex | Catherine Cheney | September 23, 2015
At Berkeley, engineers and computer scientists are in the same rooms as economists and political scientists, working together to test, implement and scale technologies in a way that can reframe global development as we know it. As momentum grows behind development engineering as an interdisciplinary field in academia, Devex spoke with some of the students, faculty, and alumni who are shaping this story.
We Should Have Seen This Refugee Crisis Coming
Wired | Rana Novack | September 22, 2015
The distribution of the global population is shifting and our response to migration crises must shift as well. The IT community must work hand in hand with government agencies and aid organizations around the world to help manage the existing refugee crisis and make sure that next time – and there will be a next time – we are prepared to do things better. Let’s use the tools we have, make the data available, and allow innovation to influence policy.
Tanzania: Media Urged to Build Peace During General Election
All Africa | Deo Mushi | September 19, 2015
The Secretary General of the East African Community Dr Richard Sezibera has urged the media in Tanzania to build peace and social consensus as the country prepares for its General Election on October 25. He urged the media to not take the path of fanning the flames of discord by taking sides, reinforcing prejudices, muddling the facts or peddling half-truths, and instead 
to shape public opinion responsibly and to not be influenced and manipulated by different interest groups in the society.
Press Freedom Group Warns That 2015 Will be Deadliest Year for Media
The Guardian | Roy Greenslade | September 18, 2015
A press freedom organisation is predicting that 2015 “is on course to be the deadliest year for the media on record.” According to the Vienna-based International Press Institute (IPI), 61 journalists have been killed for reasons related to their work or have died in accidents while on assignment so far this year.
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The Lab's Roundup highlighting stories on technology, media, and data in peacebuilding.
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PeaceTech In Action

Stories of peacebuilders using technology, media, and data in the field. 

Kara Andrade's HablaCentro - 
“Tell them technology is made of people!”

Kara Andrade is the creator of a citizen-based news-sharing platform in Central America, known as HablaCentro. In a region where reliable and independent news has been scarce due to armed conflict, HablaCentro puts power in the hands of citizens to share, discuss, and consume relevant information.  As this Ashoka blog explains, the mobile-phone based platform “allows people to send and receive SMS text messages to local phone numbers, which are routed to a national hub website that aggregates submissions and disseminates them throughout the HablaCentro network.” 

This type of citizen communication is meant to propel civic participation throughout the region by encouraging citizen journalism and collective action calls. Andrade and her team have formed relationships with various citizen organizations that can use the network to circulate information on a range of social topics, such as, human rights, education, and health. Beginning in Guatemala, but spreading virally to Honduras, El Salvador, Costa Rica, and Venezuela, HablaCentro demonstrates the need for citizen-based communication that counter balances the traditional top-down flow of information in these countries.
 

PeaceTech Commentary

PeaceTech Lab staff provide analysis on an important trend in the news.
Motherboard | September 25, 2015
 
"Researchers at the iHub Data Lab in Kenya are building an algorithm that has the potential to show early warning signs of violence across the world. Called Umati, or “crowd” in Swahili, the program monitors dangerous speech on Twitter and Facebook. Experts say that inflammatory speech can foreshadow ethnic violence, and even genocide." 
Online monitoring, predicting, and countering efforts such as Umati are important and informative. However, PeaceTech Lab has experienced first-hand how efforts at monitoring and countering hate speech cannot be successful without first identifying hate speech terms and contextualizing them within the relevant socio-political environment. The question quickly became: how can we accomplish our initial goal if we don’t have a clear idea of what terms we are monitoring or countering?

Defining what constitutes dangerous speech and how it can lead to violence is not easy, especially because many potentially inflammatory terms are part of the national vernacular and appear in daily conversation. The complexity of identifying and contextualizing dangerous speech is often overlooked. Our experience, and the experiences of so many other peacebuilders around the world, points to a larger gap in the field. There simply aren’t robust methods to properly identify and contextualize inflammatory terminology. Without these methods in place, our efforts lack rigor, can potentially contradict similar efforts in the same environment, are more subjective, and are more difficult to execute.

PeaceTech News Roundup

This week's compilation of the most important news stories highlighting the role of technology, media, and data in conflict zones. 
No Turkey Isn't Heading For Civil War: Measuring Conflict And Stability Through News Mining
Forbes | Kalev Leetaru | September 28, 2015
What if we could quantify the intensity of the Turkish-PKK conflict to produce a timeline  of the actual level of physical unrest in a country? That is the goal of the GDELT Project, which monitors local news media in almost every country of the world, live translating 65 languages, and thematically, emotionally and event coding all of this coverage in realtime as a live open data stream cataloging global society.
Colombian Journalists Face New Challenges With Digital Attacks on the Rise
International Journalists' Network | Jorge Luis Sierra | September 28, 2015
Cyber attacks are now considered the most important threat to Colombian journalists, who are fully entering the digital era. The Foundation for Freedom of Expression (FLIP) reported six major cyber attacks against online media outlets in 2014. It also reported 15 incidents of false social network accounts created to defame journalists. WhatsApp/text messages and emails accounts have come under attack. 
Dissent and Independent Journalism in Egypt Can Be Hazardous
The Wire | Basil El-Dabh | September 28, 2015
President Abdel Fata el-Sisi of Egypt issued pardons to 100 prisoners, including two Al-Jazeera journalists and some activists that had been convicted under the protest law, welcome news to them and their families. However measures against journalists and the protest law affect many who are still in Egypt’s jails and there are no signs that reform in legislation will change that any time soon.
PeaceTech Lab Believes Gear, Gadgets, and Know-How Can Sow Peace Amid Conflict
ZDNet | Greg Nichols | September 26, 2015
Can technology drive positive change in conflict areas? The founders of PeaceTech Lab certainly think so. "We work at the intersection of media, technology, and data collection," says Tim Receveur, director of the PeaceTech Exchanges program. "We try to introduce low-cost, easy-to-implement technologies into conflict zones, and we do that by working closely with NGOs, journalists, and now government."
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The Lab's Roundup highlighting stories on technology, media, and data in peacebuilding.
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PeaceTech In Action

Stories of peacebuilders using technology, media, and data in the field. 
Bandura Games #FunWithoutBorders
#FunWithoutBorders

Bandura Games is a game studio start-up founded by an American, an Israeli, and a Palestinian, to create peace through games. Their plan is to create multiplayer mobile games that connect people from different cultures and across conflict zones in pursuit of a common goal. The Bandura team has recently launched a #FunWithoutBorders crowdfunding campaign to help support the development of their game RunZoo.

In RunZoo, animals have escaped the zoo and are running to a faraway land where the animal kingdom lives in harmony. Each player is an animal; they must work together to arrive at their destination. This helps establish trust between players. Players are incentivized to share resources, complete joint missions, and save each other’s lives. While the initial relationship between players is anonymous, throughout the game players learn information about the other player such as their location and what they share in common. The goal is to foster empathy and transcend the boundaries of conflict one relationship at a time.

The Bandura team’s #FunWithoutBorders campaign raised 80% of its goal in the first 24 hours and is one of the top trending games on Indiegogo! You can support them
here. 

PeaceTech Commentary

PeaceTech Lab staff provide analysis on an important trend in the news.
The Hidden Digital Divide
SciDevNet | Nicola Pearson and Lou Del Bello | September 30, 2015

Our data tells the story of countries racing ahead, countries falling behind, and everything in between. But for people in every country, the value of technology is the power to connect. The argument that digital access should be prioritised in a similar way to education and healthcare is gaining momentum as a cornerstone for international development.
Encouragingly, at PeaceTech Lab we are constantly learning about how, and helping people find, new ways to use technologies - to connect, to improve their communities, and to access new opportunities. However, emerging trends in internet capacity, quality of connectivity, and availability of different technologies indicate growing inequality both between and within countries. This growing divide highlights how and why a perfect technology solution isn't always enough to make inroads toward resolving conflict.

Often, marketing and training on technology tools is more important than building new tools, highlighted by the authors as they discuss the
REFUNITE project. However, this type of backing for technology tools is under supported. This is why PeaceTech Lab believes in empowering local populations to use existing low-cost, easy to implement technologies through our PeaceTech ExchangesDevelopment and peacebuilding professionals need to think creatively about what already works and how these solutions can appropriately be applied to a particular context and point in time. 

PeaceTech News Roundup

This week's compilation of the most important news stories highlighting the role of technology, media, and data in conflict zones. 
Obama Turns to Crowdfunding to Aid Fleeing Syrians
New York Times | Michael D. Shear | October 6, 2015
At the request of officials from the White House Office of Digital Strategy, the crowdfunding website Kickstarter has begun its first social service campaign aimed at raising money for the United Nations refugee agency on behalf of Syrian refugees. Visitors to the site can contribute $15 to buy a sleeping bag, $70 for an emergency rescue kit, or $160 to pay for a refugee’s shelter in a “well-built group tent, complete with sleeping bag and mat.”
How Social Media Is Reshaping Our Understanding Of Conflict And How It Is Blinding Us
Forbes | Kalev Leetaru | October 5, 2015
Here we have seen what a Scud missile launch looks like on Twitter, and that in this particular case, the Saudi counter-response appears to have been literally live-tweeted in exquisite minute-by-minute detail. This example shows the incredible potential of the “global town square” model of Twitter, and also what may be lost as the future of social media becomes more closed and privately shared.
‘We all feel targeted’: Latest Attack on Turkish Journalist Fuels Siege Mentality
National Post | Nick Ashdown | October 5, 2015
An attack on one of Turkey’s most famous columnists marks the latest stage in the campaign of intimidation against journalists by the Erdogan regime. Erkan Saka, a media studies professor at Istanbul Bilgi University, says the attack was political. “The attackers’ intention is to intimidate journalists,” he said. “[President] Erdogan and [his party] the AKP’s discourse is really pro-vigilante justice.”
Hearts, Mind and Humor: Combating ISIS by Making Fun of it
Time | Naina Bajekal | October 1, 2015
The Al-Basheer Show, an online satirical news series, is one of many such parodies that have flourished in the Middle East, where millions of Muslims have grown increasingly outraged by ISIS’s theology. The ridicule comes in various forms—television shows, plays, cartoons and songs—but they share the same message: for all its claims to the contrary, ISIS is not Islamic.
'The Little Ones' Is Breaking Video Game Taboos by Showing Kids in War Zones
Motherboard | Emanuel Maiberg | September 30, 2015
This War of Mine, a game that portrays the reality of war from a civilian perspective, wants to show the impact of war on kids in a new console version of the game, This War of Mine: The Little Ones. "If you're showing war and talking about the real impact of war—sadness, depression, suffering, the consequences of it all—you have to bring kids into it to make a coherent, comprehensive experience," Pawel Miechowski, senior writer at This War of Mine said.
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The Lab's Roundup highlighting stories on technology, media, and data in peacebuilding.
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PeaceTech In Action

Stories of peacebuilders using technology, media, and data in the field. 
A PeaceTech Industry Will...
Roundtable on Technology, Science, and Peacebuilding

This year, the U.S. Institute of Peace and Peacetech Lab co-hosted the 7th meeting of the Roundtable on Technology, Science, and Peacebuilding. The Roundtable historically has been a gathering of government agencies, international organizations, corporations, NGOs and academic leaders pursuing technology applications that support the peacebuilding agenda. In the past, these meetings have discussed everything from applying systems engineering principles to adapting agricultural extension programs to peacebuilding. Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Emerging Capability and Prototyping, Earl Wyatt, and Deputy Under Secretary  for the Department of Agriculture's Research, Education, and Economics, Ann Bartuska, have helped to guide these important discussions at the highest levels of the State Department, the Department of Defense, and the US Department of Agriculture.

The challenge for this Roundtable was to suggest ways that the power of peacetech can be amplified to save lives above the power of these same technologies to take them. The agenda explored viable frameworks, existing public/private partnerships, and creative means of financing to scale a peacetech industry. In the video above, listen to leading experts on the importance of such an endeavor as they highlight how the peacetech industry will empower peacebuilders, harness data, build a community, create entrepreneurship opportunities, and ultimately forge a brighter future.

PeaceTech Commentary

PeaceTech Lab staff provide analysis on an important trend in the news.
The Citizen Journalists Challenging
Assad And Putin's Story Of War

Huffington Post | Charlotte Alfred | October 16, 2015

"Eliot Higgins, who runs the Bellingcat network of citizen investigative journalists...set up a platform to geolocate and analyze Russian airstrikes in Syria. The findings echo those of other analysts around the world -- Russia is not targeting the Islamic State, also known as ISIS, but rather an array of Syrian rebel groups fighting President Bashar Assad, an ally of the Kremlin." 
The report on Bellingcat’s findings regarding Russian activity in Syria is yet more stunning testimony to the global trend we are seeing in the use of peacetech – namely, tech, data and media for the promotion of peacebuilding – by ordinary citizens seeking to make their world safer. For every headline about the frightening use of organizations like ISIL of new media and tech, one can find with just a bit of looking, another story about an organization like Bellingcat or an individual like Eliot Higgins who is innovating with peacetech to save lives. Sadly, however, these stories about peacetech innovators and entreprenuers rarely get the same amount of media attention  as those about tech being used for harm and hatred.
 
What Eliot has managed to achieve here and in Ukraine by harnessing the power of the crowd and citizen journalists to shine a light in dark places is as important for those conflicts as it is encouraging about the future of peacetech around the world. This is just the beginning!

PeaceTech News Roundup

This week's compilation of the most important news stories highlighting the role of technology, media, and data in conflict zones. 
Facebook Will Beam the Web to Africa – a Vital First Step in Helping People Connect
The Guardian | Jeanne Bourgault | October 20, 2015
Facebook has announced that it will put a satellite in orbit and beam the internet to millions of people in sub-Saharan Africa by 2016. Here at Internews, we wholeheartedly support the global revolution in information connectivity. However, this raises a question: what happens when you inject modern, fully formed social media into a country with low literacy, a long history of ethnic conflict and no cultural experience of the civil mores around free speech and freedom of expression? What happens is an explosion of hate speech.
A Dying Boy’s Plea That Became an Iconic Message for Peace
BBC | Mai Noman | October 20, 2015
A video of a young Yemeni boy lying on a hospital bed being treated for injuries from flying shrapnel has had over 50,000 views on Facebook - and has become a moving symbol of the human cost of the war in his country. The video shows 6-year-old Fareed Shawky, who has since passed away, pleading in a soft voice to doctors, "Don't bury me," as tears stream down his face. Thousands of Yemenis online are using his words to appeal for an end to the conflict.
Social Media Satire Under Fire Ahead of Myanmar Elections
The Nation | October 16, 2015
Myanmar authorities are clamping down on social media postings criticising or mocking the state, using wide-reaching legislation condemned by international rights groups. "We already warned that we would charge anyone who breaks the existing Electronic Transaction Act, especially during the election period to keep the situation stable," said Tint Swe, permanent secretary of the Information Ministry. The 2004 act prohibits any electronic communications considered "detrimental to the security of the State or prevalence of law and order or community peace and tranquillity."
The Tech Sector’s Best Innovations for Solving the Syrian Refugee Crisis
Washington Post | Dominic Basulto | October 13, 2015
In response to President Obama’s recent shout-out to Silicon Valley to do more to solve the refugee crisis, a handful of high-profile technology companies — Kickstarter, Twitter, Airbnb and Instacart — are working to adapt their platforms and technologies to help solve the refugee crisis. Twitter, for example, is going to enable early rollout of its new donation product to allow humanitarian NGOs to raise money on its social media platform. And Airbnb is going to offer free housing credits for aid workers in areas most affected by the refugee crisis.
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The Lab's Roundup highlighting stories on technology, media, and data in peacebuilding.
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PeaceTech In Action

Stories of peacebuilders using technology, media, and data in the field. 

Dr. Tarek Loubani - 3D Printing Medical Equipment

When Dr. Tarek Loubani worked at the Shifa hospital in Gaza, he experienced first-hand the challenges faced by doctors who lacked basic medical equipment due to Israel's blockade. During the 2012 Israeli invasion of Gaza, Dr. Loubani recounts how he and his colleagues had to place their ears on the chests of patients to listen to their heartbeats because they didn’t have adequate stethoscopes. This experience inspired the Canadian doctor to launch the Glia Project, which uses 3D technology to create low-cost and open-source medical instruments. 

Dr. Loubani’s first success has been in developing a 3D printed stethoscope for just $2.50. His plan is for those in Gaza, and other impoverished areas, to have access to 3D printers so that they can build these medical instruments locally. By finding ways to enable local creation of high quality medical devices at a fraction of the cost of leading brands, Dr. Loubani is working to mitigate the impacts of conflict through access to medical care among local communities.

PeaceTech Commentary

PeaceTech Lab staff provide analysis on an important trend in the news.

Digital Counterinsurgency: How to
Marginalize the Islamic State Online

Foreign Affairs | Jared Cohen | October 22, 2015

Foiling ISIS' efforts on the Internet will make the group less successful on the battlefield. To date, however, most digital efforts against ISIS have been too limited, focusing on specific tactics, such as creating counternarratives to extremism, in lieu of generating a comprehensive strategy. Instead of resorting to a single tool, opponents should treat this fight as they would a military confrontation: by waging a broad-scale counterinsurgency.
In this article, Jared Cohen discusses how attempts to fight ISIS’ digital strategy have often been directed at social media platforms alone. Most projects have focused only on counter narratives to extremism and other methods have been less utilized. Cohen argues that the digital counterinsurgency should be approached similarly to a land-based one. ISIS, its members and structures, must be understood, not just reacted too. To this end, the support of local communities is crucial to gaining insight into ISIS’ success in the digital sphere.
 
In its own work, PeaceTech Lab recognizes the importance of empowering local voices to building sustainable peace. Local participation is integral to all of the Lab's projects. When connecting peacebuilders with technologists at PeaceTech Exchanges, the participants and trainers are local and the tools employed are fitting for the technology landscape. In collecting and analyzing data to help counter gender-based violence, voices from the affected communities are brought in to inform metrics. Local support of peacebuilding strategy helps to reveal the nuance of conflict and how to best address it.

PeaceTech News Roundup

This week's compilation of the most important news stories highlighting the role of technology, media, and data in conflict zones. 
The World Needs to Know About Yemen’s War. But Journalists are Being Silenced
The Guardian | Charlene Rodrigues | October 26, 2015
Yemen’s human tragedy is exacerbated when the world can’t comprehend who is behind the abductions and killing of innocent civilians. There are passionate local journalists keen to communicate Yemen’s story. But they live in fear. When they are abducted, they are forgotten. This widespread fear has not only silenced the press, but also the people. Suppressing people’s voices goes against the very ideas from which Yemen’s revolution was born.
An 'Artivist' Drives a Social Media Campaign for Peace Across Indo-Pak Borders
International Business Times | A A Varghese | October 25, 2015
Ram Subramanian's #ProfileForPeace hashtag campaign has gone viral overnight on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Thousands of Indians and Pakistanis have changed their profile pictures to one with a note stating the place of domicile and a simple straightforward message stating whether they belong to India or Pakistan and asserting that they do not hate each other.
Award Recipient Aims to Show 'Human Side' of Syria War
Yahoo! News | October 23, 2015
Zaina Erhaim, who lives and works in Aleppo, Syria, has trained about 100 citizen reporters from inside Syria, approximately a third of them women, in print and TV journalism, and helped establish new, independent newspapers and magazines in the country. Erhaim, the Syrian recipient of the Peter Mackler Award for Courageous and Ethical Journalism, said she hopes her work can convey "the human side" of the horrific conflict.
Pentagon: State Doesn’t Have Enough People Tweeting At ISIS
Defense One | Patrick Tucker | October 22, 2015
Today, the State Department effort to erode the influence of ISIS on the social web, the Think Again Turn Away campaign, has received mixed reviews at best. To change the minds of more than 16 million Muslims who could support the Islamic State, almost entirely via social media, the U.S. State Department has a counter propaganda team of just about 20 people. Translation: the U.S. is not doing enough to out-tweet ISIS.
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About eyeWitness
Please be aware that the video above contains graphic images.
eyeWitness to Atrocities: Bringing the
Perpetrators of Atrocity Crimes to Justice

eyeWitness to Atrocities seeks to bring the perpetrators of atrocities to justice by providing a tool for human rights defenders, journalists, and other courageous citizens to capture verifiable footage related to international atrocity crimes. The eyeWitness app is an easy-to-use camera app that captures the metadata needed to ensure the images can be used in investigations or trials and safely stores the information. The eyeWitness expert team then becomes an ongoing advocate for the footage, analysing the information and working with the appropriate legal authorities to promote accountability for those who commit the worst international crimes.

The idea for the project arose when Mark Ellis, Executive Director of the International Bar Association (IBA), was asked to examine footage seemingly showing Sri Lankan troops executing Tamil Prisoners. The authenticity of the video could not be verified. ‘Watching that film was a catalyst for the idea that an app could be created to act as a tool of verification and allow the video to be admissible in a court of law,’ he says. So began a four-year effort to create such technology. The result is eyeWitness to Atrocities, a mobile app with the unique capability to authenticate and securely store footage of gross human rights abuses, while maintaining the anonymity of the user.

 
You can follow eyeWitness on Twitter here or find out more on their website.

PeaceTech Commentary

PeaceTech Lab staff provide analysis on an important trend in the news.

Islamist Militants Turn to Less-Governed Social-Media Platform
Washington Post | Greg Miller | October 29, 2015

The Islamic State and other terror groups are flocking to a Berlin-based social-media service that imposes few barriers on the distribution of violent content or recruiting propaganda...Thousands of followers have subscribed to Islamic State-related channels on the social-media platform called Telegram in recent weeks...Telegram has no clear mechanism for law enforcement agencies to track individuals or demand that material aimed at inciting terror attacks be taken down.
There is an ongoing co-evolution between surveillance and circumvention technologies. New methods to monitor a person, group, or online presence are often counteracted quickly with innovative approaches to bypass the monitoring. This is true for both democracy activists in authoritarian states looking for safe communication methods, as well as Islamist militants seeking anonymity in their recruiting practices. Twitter, a key front-end recruiting tool for ISIS, is being bypassed for Telegram, a similar service that protects users' anonymity. While this recent action poses unique problems for tracking down extremists, it is just the latest step in a long running cat and mouse game.

What this co-evolution means for the peacebuilding field is greater uncertainty in understanding the drivers of online radicalization, and a more opaque view of the messages that are resonating with potential recruits.  Knowledge becomes ephemeral as strategy and tactics change. ISIS's recent use of Telegram is just as ephemeral. 

PeaceTech News Roundup

This week's compilation of the most important news stories highlighting the role of technology, media, and data in conflict zones. 
Net Freedom Downgraded Amid Arrests, Restrictions
Myanmar Times | Laignee Barron | October 30, 2015
Internet freedom in Myanmar deteriorated over the past year as the government reverted to old ways to curb criticism ahead of the elections, a new report by Freedom House has found. Bloggers, social media posters and internet users have been assaulted, arrested and put on trial as clauses in the new Telecommunications Law on surveillance and censorship were put to effect. Charges have also been pressed under the draconian Electronic Transactions Law, which was recently amended but without removing clauses used to imprison activists.
Report Reveals Crimes Against Journalists Go Unpunished
Daily Times | November 2, 2015
A report on the safety of Pakistani media professionals has presented a bleak picture of the level of insecurity faced by Pakistani journalists. The report calls for serious efforts by governments and media to change the present situation where those that kill, injure, abduct and threaten journalists are almost never punished. It also emphasizes that free media is essential to democracy in Pakistan and for promoting transparency and accountability, a prerequisite of sustained economic uplift.
Report Shows Social Media Spreads IS Propaganda Among Indonesian Extremists
Jakarta Post | October 31, 2015
The growing use of social media among Indonesian supporters of the Islamic State (IS) helped the group reach a wider audience, the latest report from the Institute for Policy Analysis of Conflict (IPAC) has claimed. Social media usage did not change the group's recruitment patterns, but helped its message spread more widely. One thing that has remained consistent until today is the face-to-face contact for radicalization and recruitment. 
Warring South Sudan Factions Used Media to Incite Public- Report
Daily Nation | Aggrey Mutambo | October 29, 2015
South Sudan's warring parties used the media to incite tribes against each other, a report by the African Union has stated. The document indicates incidents where perpetrators of violence used public radio to incite the public against each other. The Commission of Inquiry in South Sudan says it did not find evidence of genocide like that witnessed in Rwanda, but concluded radio had been used similarly to foment hatred.
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The SalamaTech Project - Helping
Syrians Communicate Safely Online

The SalamaTech Project works to ensure that Syrian citizens can communicate securely and safely online. This is crucial for Syrians because they use the Internet to know where bombs are dropping, checkpoints to avoid, and where food may be found. It is also used for local news dissemination and for documenting and sharing war crimes. The SalamaTech Project works to improve the digital capacity-building of Syrian citizens and civil society organizations by providing them with digital safety services, alerts on new malware/spyware, and step-by-step instructions on best practices.

The project employs cybersecurity experts that provide Syrian organizations with digital safety audits and real-time mediation. Equally important, they provide emergency technical support for accounts that have been hacked or disabled, and recommend measures to protect the privacy of an individual’s wider network of associates. The SalamaTech Project has helped millions of Syrians stay safe online and has kept the voices of activists committed to democracy, nonviolence, and human rights actively present in the online sphere.

PeaceTech Commentary

PeaceTech Lab staff provide analysis on an important trend in the news.

Myanmar's Fledgling Journalists Gird For Historic Election
Huffington Post | Denis D. Gray | November 5, 2015

Their predecessors suffered torture, imprisonment and death at the hands of a die-hard military regime for more than half a century. Now, Myanmar's journalists...are challenged with the first general election since 1960 to be covered with relative freedom...Though broadcast media continues under firm government control, other independent outlets have mushroomed, and some feature outstanding journalists who have pushed the restrictive envelope the regime still maintains.
Myanmar's journalists suffered at the hands of a military regime for more than fifty years. Last Sunday's historic general election was the first since 1960 to be covered with relative freedom. Journalists have been empowered by a changing political system and a technology revolution. 

Following an exponential drop in the price of SIM cards, mobile phone sales have exploded in Myanmar and now roughly 20 million out of a population of 52 million have mobile devices, with smartphones commanding about 80% of mobile subscribers. Groups like the Yangon Journalism School have been preparing journalists for this election by training them on how to effectively use mobile and social media tools to spread news about candidates as well as reports of voter fraud and other anticipated irregularities.

We believe that new technologies can help journalists, activists and socially-minded organizations to engage citizens and improve governance. This is reflected in the Lab's PeaceTech Exchange (PTX) program that connects networks of talented young technologists with journalists, civil society and government leaders in conflict zones to find effective ways to use technology to find innovative solutions to global challenges. 

PeaceTech News Roundup

This week's compilation of the most important news stories highlighting the role of technology, media, and data in conflict zones. 
Myanmar Election Plays Out On Facebook
Bangkok Post | November 12, 2015
As Myanmar's opposition sit on the cusp of a historic victory, the twists and turns of the election are playing out on a medium virtually unknown inside the country a few years ago: social media. Everyone from Aung San Suu Kyi's jubilant National League for Democracy (NLD) supporters to ruling President Thein Sein and the country's army chief are using Facebook to relay their message as the country looks set for its biggest political shake-up in decades.
EU urges Turkey to Lift Media Curbs, Resume Peace Talks with Kurd Rebels
Reuters | Robin Emmott | November 10, 2015
The European Commission urged EU candidate Turkey on Tuesday to lift restrictions on media freedom, respect human rights and stop interfering in the judiciary, criticism that Ankara described as "unfair and excessive". In its annual progress report on Turkey, the Commission called for a relaunch of peace talks with Kurdish militants in the southeast, and noted with concern, President Tayyip Erdogan's push for a constitutional overhaul that would give him much greater powers.
Russian Soldiers Geolocated by Photos in Multiple Syria Locations, Bloggers Say
Reuters | Maria Tsvetkova | November 8, 2015
Three serving or former Russian soldiers have been geolocated by photographs on social media in Syria, Russian bloggers said, suggesting the Kremlin's operation stretches well beyond its air campaign. "Although we still don't have indisputable evidence of Russian servicemen taking a direct part in the fighting on the ground in Syria, we believe the situation observed contradicts the claims of Russian officials that Russian troops are not taking part and are not planning to take part in ground operations,” CIT sai
d. 
Northwestern Screens Film on Chicago Woman Fighting Syrian Civil War From America
The Daily Northwestern | Isabella Jiao | November 5, 2015
Northwestern students learned the power of social media during a screening of a documentary about an American teenager taking part in the Syrian revolution from her bedroom in Chicago. The film, “#chicagoGirl: The Social Network Takes on a Dictator,” documents the experience of a 19-year-old college freshman, Ala’a Basatneh, organizing protests and exposing the violence in Syria to the world from her Chicago home during the first year of the revolution. 
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REPORTA Tutorial
To watch the video, click the image above or here.
New Journalist Security App

The International Women’s Media Foundation (IWMF) has designed and released a free personal safety app, known as Reporta, for journalists working in potentially dangerous environments. The Reporta app was developed in response to the rising violence against journalists, with the last three years being the deadliest period on record. The goal of Reporta  is to augment existing security protocols through the app’s three essential features that make it easy for journalists to send information to designated and pre-loaded contacts. 

These features include (1) an automated and customizable check-in system that informs a user’s circle of contacts if a scheduled check-in is missed, (2)  customized alerts that notify key contacts when a user or colleague is at risk, and (3) an SOS button which sends a distress message to designated contacts before shutting down the app to prevent unwanted access. Reporta is equipped to help journalists working in conflict zones or repressive environments, where they are too often the targets of attacks, in order to "help them stay safe and best positioned to continue to tell the significant stories of our time.”

To learn more about Reporta  and its features, please watch the video above.  The app is available for iPhone and Adroid devices and supports 6 languages.

PeaceTech Commentary

PeaceTech Lab staff provide analysis on an important trend in the news.
Paris, Beirut, and the Language Used to Describe Terrorism
The Atlantic | Nadine Ajaka | November 17, 2015

The media covered both the Paris and Beirut attacks, as it covers most acts of terrorism. But it did not cover them in the same way. Not all coverage is created equal. When language skews narratives, and institutional giants like Facebook encourage flag filters in solidarity with one tragedy but not others, it’s difficult to make the argument that the media landscape we all stumble through is anything approaching equitable—or to avoid the impression that white victims are being humanized in a way Arab victims aren’t. It is through language that the press shapes political discourse, and it is through language that our biases are made manifest.
The attacks in Paris and Beirut were caused by dangerous people, broken people. But these are individuals who thrive off of imperfection in the world. The hard work of peace is fixing those imperfections. It is often hard work with an unclear path. But Nadine Ajaka’s article, and others like it, shows an imperfection that we can easily fix. No tragedy should be painted as just another episode in a series of geopolitical intrigues. Instead the media can humanize the people affected, activating our empathy rather than our apathy. Platforms like Facebook can share in the spread of information and ideas to give people peace of mind in the face of chaos. And in a globally connected world we all have the opportunity to show solidarity with those affected by violence no matter the distance.

The technology and media sectors can be better. But so can we. Peace is not just work to be done “over there”; it is work we can do anywhere. Giving weight to every tragedy is not easy work. That’s why our institutions don’t do it. Don’t expect it. They need us to show them the way.

PeaceTech News Roundup

This week's compilation of the most important news stories highlighting the role of technology, media, and data in conflict zones. 
Muslims Use Social Media to Condem ISIS, Fight Islamophobia
MSNBC | Nicole Brown | November 17, 2015
Muslims around the world have taken to social media to condemn the terrorist attacks in Paris and fight against Islamophobia. Reviving the #NotInMyName hashtag campaign, many Muslims are sending the message that ISIS, the group claiming responsibility for the attacks that killed over 120 people, does not represent Islam. Since the attacks on Friday, the hashtag has been used on Twitter 94,000 times, as of Tuesday morning.
How Jihadists ‘Go Dark’ to Avoid Detection
Politico | Alex Spence & Duncan Gardham | November 16, 2015
Terrorists linked to the so-called Islamic State are employing encrypted Internet services — including a new generation of mobile messaging apps — that the authorities do not have the technological capability to break, according to intelligence sources, public comments by senior officials, and evidence disclosed in recent criminal trials. Intelligence officials around the world are worried that ISIL’s increasing use of encrypted communications is undermining their ability to keep citizens safe.
Burma Gives a Big Thumbs-Up to Facebook
Foreign Policy | Christian Caryl | November 13, 2015
Four years ago Facebook didn’t exist in Burma. Now it’s the country’s most important source of information. As opposition leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, explained the reasons for her party’s remarkable triumph in an interview with the BBC, she said this: “And then of course there’s the communications revolution. This has made a huge difference. Everybody gets onto the net and informs everybody else of what is happening. And so it’s much more difficult for those who wish to commit irregularities to get away with it.”
Anonymous Vs. The Islamic State
Foreign Policy | E.T. Brooking | November 13, 2015
For nearly a year, a war has been unfolding in strange corners of the Internet. But can a bunch of hackers really take on the world’s deadliest jihadi group? The truth is that, cast against seismic events like the fall of Palmyra or fight for Ramadi, this Internet war looks small. Banning Twitter accounts, eliminating websites, and even identifying the occasional militant will not stop the Islamic State. It won’t necessarily do much to stanch the flow of jihadis coming from around the world to make a new life in — or fight for — the self-declared caliphate. It will never liberate Syria and Iraq.
The weekly News Roundup will take a one week hiatus and return on December 3, 2015. We wish you a Happy Thanksgiving next week! 
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Click the image above to watch the video.
YaLa Young Leaders - “Voice of Change, Equality, and Hope”

YaLa Young Leaders is a Facebook-based movement that promotes dialogue and engagement among Middle Eastern youth in order to cultivate the next generation of change and to help build a safe, productive, and peaceful region. Through Yala Academy, its flagship program, students use web-based platforms to connect with one another and learn key communication, peacemaking, and leadership skills.
 
YaLa Academy’s programs include (1) The Aileen Getty School of Citizen Journalism, an online training program that enables youth to share their unique stories and elevate their voices for peace and positive change, (2) The YaLa Peace Institute in Honor of Nelson Mandela, an online peace studies program where youth learn directly from individuals who implemented and sustained peace processes, and lastly, (3) MENA Leaders for Change, which includes online training, online dialogue, and face-to-face workshops to cultivate emerging and skilled leaders.
 
YaLa Young Leaders has enrolled over 1,200 students, and continues to leverage social networks to engage its 1 million members in peace advocacy campaigns that counter the messages of fear and hate with stories of hope and solidarity. It is the largest regional peace movement that Uri Savir, its founder, describes as the “voice of change, equality, and hope.”

PeaceTech Commentary

PeaceTech Lab staff provide analysis on an important trend in the news.
The Digital Strategy Everyone Should Use to Help Combat ISIS
Huffington Post | Anne Zeiser | November 24, 2015

Can we help combat the elusive ISIS? Absolutely. Simply reverse-engineer the psychology of these radicalized extremists and wage war on the two most powerful fronts -- an invisible digital trail and a visible digital trail. The first line of defense uses the strategy of big data collection and analysis to bring the hidden into full view...[This will] help us find the pockets of ISIS members so we can root them out. The second front is placing a vibrant collective consciousness publicly on everyday digital platforms in response to ISIS's exquisite PR machine...By being fearless and compassionate, we can snuff out the power of terrorism over us. 
Countering ISIS messaging online is critically important, but more may be required than just asking the masses to take to social media and create a social media movement. In order to truly drown out the prevalent, prominent online messages that support this dangerous ideology, we need to first understand who is saying what, who is susceptible to these messages, and what alternate messages - those emphasizing positive social values that build social cohesion - resonate among those most at-risk for recruitment. As peacebuilders and communicators, we need to take urgent steps to understand these core issues, and then find ways to amplify those effective community voices to overwhelm the ISIS digital strategy. But the most important strategy, as the author suggests, is for all of the victims of ISIS to work together as a community, both on and offline.

PeaceTech News Roundup

This week's compilation of the most important news stories highlighting the role of technology, media, and data in conflict zones. 
Syria’s Media War
Columbia Journalism Review | Elizabeth Dickinson | November 24, 2015
Four years later, the much-vaunted media revolution hasn’t delivered the freedom or the plurality it promised. As unarmed demonstrations gave way to conventional warfare, the media, too, entered the fray. The number of citizen sources grew, but their audiences fragmented. Opposition, regime, jihadist, and ethnic media today rarely resemble one another; the stories they tell speak less to a shared reality than to the fissures between different versions of the prevailing narrative.
#Justice4Ahmadis: Social Media Reacts
The Nation | November 24, 2015
An angry mob torched a factory, owned by members of the Ahmadiya community, in Jhelum after one of its employees was accused of committing blasphemy, police officials said on Saturday. This is one of the many instances of violence against the Ahmadiyya community in the name of Blasphemy. A campaign started on social media against this attack. And people, all over Pakistan, are standing up for the Ahmadiyya community. 
Inside the Surreal World of the Islamic State’s Propaganda Machine
Washington Post | Greg Miller & Souad Mekhennet | November 20, 2015
Abu Hajer, who is now in prison in Morocco, is among more than a dozen Islamic State defectors who provided detailed accounts of their involvement in, or exposure to, the Islamic State's propaganda machine. What they described resembles a medieval reality show. Camera crews fan out across the caliphate every day, their ubiquitous presence distorting the events they purportedly document. Battle scenes and public beheadings are so scripted and staged that fighters and executioners often perform multiple takes and read their lines from cue cards.
Fight Against ISIS Reveals Power of Social Media
Brookings Institution | Javier Lesaca | November 19, 2015
The raid in Iraq revealed four important lessons for the U.S. and other allied countries to effectively counter ISIS’s digital communication strategy: (1) Military operations against terrorism should be accompanied by a digital communication strategy that provides audiovisual material to be shared on social media. (2) Counter-narrative campaigns against ISIS should be based on true stories of Arabs and Muslims who have experienced firsthand suffering caused by ISIS. (3) ISIS counter-narrative campaigns obtain more engagement when they are distributed through non-government channels. (4) Real action images and videos of counter-terrorism operations are in high demand.
Why a Climate Deal is the Best Hope for Peace
The New Yorker | Jason Box & Naomi Klein | November 18, 2015
The Paris climate summit “should be considered not just a climate summit but a peace conference—perhaps the most significant peace convocation in history.” But it can only do that if the agreement builds a carbon-safe economy fast enough to tangibly improve lives in the here and now. We are finally starting to recognize that climate change leads to wars and economic ruin. It’s time to recognize that intelligent climate policy is fundamental to lasting peace and economic justice.
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PeaceTech In Action

Stories of peacebuilders using technology, media, and data in the field. 
PDO team member conducting interviews in Qoratu
 
Bahar Osman - Improving Healthcare in
IDP Camps through Data Collection

When Bahar Osman, Director of the People Development Organization (PDO), attended PeaceTech Lab’s PeaceTech Exchange (PTX) in Sulaimania, Iraq, she was struggling with how to assess and improve health conditions in Kurdistan’s camps for displaced Iraqis and Syrians. She was inspired by the technology she was introduced to at the PTX, specifically KoBo Tool Box, a free web app that allows for data collection in low connectivity environments, and Storymaker, a mobile app that allows users to record, edit, and publish videos from their smartphones.
 
Using these tools, PDO conducted a systematic survey of the 530 families living in the Qoratu IDP camp.  The data showed that only 17.8% of inhabitants had visited a doctor, and there were at least 116 documented cases of skin diseases. Dozens of inhabitants were infected with Measles, Pox, Pemphigus and other ailments. These findings were published by the local press and garnered the attention of Kurdish parliamentarian Maryam Samad and the health directorate of Sulaimania, who arranged for $12,000 in medicine to be delivered to Qoratu. 

PeaceTech Commentary

PeaceTech Lab staff provide analysis on an important trend in the news.
Eric Schmidt on How to Build a Better Web
New York Times | Eric E. Schmidt | December 7, 2015

As with all great advances in technology, expanded Web access has also brought with it some serious challenges, like threats to free speech, qualms about surveillance and fears of online terrorist activity...It’s our responsibility to demonstrate that stability and free expression go hand in hand...We should build tools to help de-escalate tensions on social media — sort of like spell-checkers, but for hate and harassment...Intuition, compassion, creativity — these are the tools that we will use to combat violence and terror online, to drown out the hate with a broadly shared humanity that only the Web makes possible.
ISIS’s declaration of war on Twitter is a turning point that demonstrates how technology is agnostic; it can be used for good or for harm. Before us lies an opportunity to shape the dominant use of new technologies for compassion and positive creativity. But recent events have demonstrated how this opportunity is most noisily seized by individuals and movements with terror on their minds.

We at PeaceTech Lab believe that to seize this opportunity, it is vital to think beyond our current crop of government and technology leaders. Schmidt trusts these leaders can "use the new power of technology to allow us to broaden our horizons." But, to use technology to accomplish this goal, we need to find more ways to enable a new crop of leaders. Individuals and local organizations in conflict zones are the only people who can iterate and explore the ways technology broadens the horizons of our society. So, let’s focus more of our efforts to identify people most directly affected by this conflict, give them the resources to build their own tools, and learn from their experiences.

PeaceTech News Roundup

This week's compilation of the most important news stories highlighting the role of technology, media, and data in conflict zones. 
Americans Attracted to ISIS Find an ‘Echo Chamber’ on Social Media
New York Times | Scott Shane, Matt Apuzzo, & Eric Schmitt | December 8, 2015
As the Obama administration takes on the multidimensional challenge posed by the Islamic State after the killings in San Bernardino, Calif., the online community of sympathizers in the United States is a critical focus. They number in the hundreds, experts say, and fit no single profile. In fact, they have little in common except one thing: the weeks or months spent marinating in the rhetoric and symbolism of the Islamic State, courtesy of Twitter and other Internet platforms.
Nigeria: President Buhari Slams Social Media Bill and Defends Free Speech
International Business Times | Ludovica Iaccino | December 8, 2015
President Muhammadu Buhari has criticised a controversial social media bill that is currently being debated in the senate. If the bill becomes law, people who "intentionally propagate false information that could threaten the security of the country or that is capable of inciting the general public against the government through electronic message" could be jailed for up to seven years and fined up to 5m Naira ($25,000). Nigerian citizens have taken to social media to vent their outrage over the bill.
Obama Appeals to Silicon Valley For Help With Online Anti-Extremist Campaign
Reuters | Roberta Rampton & Dustin Volz | December 6, 2015
President Barack Obama on Sunday called on Silicon Valley to help address the threat of militant groups using social media and electronic communications to plan and promote violence, setting up renewed debate over personal privacy online. Obama sees the need for the sector to work with law enforcement when the use of social media "crosses the line" from expressing views "into active terrorist plotting," a senior administration official said.
The Rise of Tech-Savvy Global Terrorism Networks
CNBC | Michael Sheetz | December 4, 2015
Groups such as the Islamic State and Boko Haram are using consumer technology products and social media to communicate and propagandize. While encryption will continue to be a thorn in the side of government surveillance, the Islamic State continues to exploit the Internet in an overt, not covert, method with little resistance. "They want to utilize technologies which … are quite easy to gain access to, navigate content therein and use to communicate, both publicly and secretly."
Syria Tracker: Women Dying in Numbers
Huffington Post | Mariane Pearl | December 3, 2015
In early spring 2011, protests spread and reports of unrest in Syria made headlines. No international media was allowed inside the country, the journalists were gone and the narrative came under the control of the regime. A few weeks after, Taha Kass-Hout, a social data scientist and Hend Alhinnawi, an international development professional launched Syria Tracker, a crowdsourcing effort that has been collecting citizen reports on human rights violations and casualties in Syria since April of that year.
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The Lab's Roundup highlighting stories on technology, media, and data in peacebuilding.
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PeaceTech In Action

Stories of peacebuilders using technology, media, and data in the field. 

Syria Tracker - Mapping the Syrian Conflict Through Crowdsourced Data
 
When the Syrian uprising began in spring 2011, international media was barred from entering the country, leaving the narrative of what was occurring under the control of the regime.  This led Taha Kass-Hout, a social data scientist, and Hend Alhinnawi, an international development professional, to launch Syria Tracker, a crisis mapping system that uses crowdsourced text, photo, and video reports and data mining techniques to track human rights violations, casualties, and welfare issues caused by the conflict. 

According to an Index on Censorship article, Syria Tracker’s collation and triangulation of diverse data enables it to supply more accurate and up-to-date information than traditional news sources. 
Syria Tracker has received more than 100,000 crowdsourced reports since 2011, digitally mining over 300,000 news articles and 100 million tweets. Its data has been used by UN agencies, the U.S. State Department, human rights and relief agencies, among many others, to identify needs on the ground, address human rights violations and get a better understanding of what is happening in and around Syria’s borders. 

PeaceTech Commentary

PeaceTech Lab staff provide analysis on an important trend in the news.
What Can — Or Should — Internet
Companies Do To Fight Terrorism?

NPR | Brian Naylor & Alina Selyukh | December 15, 2015
 
Social media platforms are under pressure from politicians to do more to take down messages and videos intended to promote terrorist groups and recruit members...A major challenge is that social networks rely on their users to flag inappropriate content, in part because of the sheer quantity that is posted...So what if we automated the process? For instance, social media companies use sophisticated programs to help identify images of child pornography by comparing to a national database. But no such database exists for terrorist images.
A glance at Facebook’s Community Standards page on hate speech reveals a tightrope walk between upholding the rights of free speech and preventing dangerous speech. Although Facebook will remove content “that directly attacks people” based on characteristics such as race, religion, gender, etc., the company also explains ways to filter controversial speech, or reasonably share something for the purposes of debate or satire. The tech giant likewise forbids “dangerous organizations” from establishing profiles and removes any content supporting criminal or violent actions, but “welcomes broad discussion and social commentary on these general subjects.” Facebook encourages the user “to speak up and educate the community around you,“ strongly preferring “counter-speech” to silencing voices.

As  global communities call on tech companies to play a greater role in preventing violence, and as peacetech organizations explore the impact of social media companies in conflict, they will be participating in a debate over the role for free speech that stretches back for decades, if not centuries. (Read Justice Brandeis’ U.S. Supreme Court opinion for a surprisingly relevant argument from 1927 for nuance in states’ limitation of speech.) Those seeking effective and reasonable policies for preventing violence may find themselves walking a tightrope very similar to Facebook’s.
Commentary by Derek Caelin | Specialist | PeaceTech Lab

PeaceTech News Roundup

This week's compilation of the most important news stories highlighting the role of technology, media, and data in conflict zones. 
Germany said on Tuesday that Facebook, Google and Twitter have agreed to delete hate speech from their websites within 24 hours, a new step in the fight against rising online racism following the refugee crisis. The government has been trying to get social platforms to crack down on the rise in anti-foreigner comments in German on the web as the country struggles to cope with an influx of more than 1 million refugees this year.
Another Chilling Year of Killings and Attacks on Journalists
The Guardian | Roy Greenslade | December 13, 2015
Fifty-five journalists have been killed across the world so far this year. In purely statistical terms, it signifies an improvement. Yet it is further evidence of the incredibly hostile conditions under which many journalists work. Just as distressing is the fact that so many murderers of journalists escape justice. This issue of impunity is regarded as a major stumbling block in the fight against attacks on journalists.
How 'Minecraft' Is Connecting Kids Caught Up in the Israel-Palestine Conflict
Motherboard | Edwin Evans-Thirlwell | December 11, 2015
On 1st January 2014, a group of Tel Aviv-based academics and entrepreneurs announced Games for Peace (G4P), a not-for-profit organisation that uses online multiplayer games such as Minecraft to foster understanding between school students from different ethnic and religious backgrounds in the Middle East. G4P’s hope is simply that the opportunity to play together, will gradually disarm any preconceptions the children have about other cultures—steeling them against stereotypes in daily life. 
Bangladesh Lifts Ban on All Social Media
Phys.org | December 10, 2015
Bangladesh has lifted a ban on all social media blocked over security concerns, officials confirmed Monday, as authorities have struggled to quell militant violence and opposition unrest. The minister thanked Internet users for "keeping patience" during the current ban after hundreds of youths protested on the streets earlier this month, branding the move an attack on freedom of expression.
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Jorge Luis Sierra - Creator of the Salama app

Salama - Risk Assement App for Journalists

Salama is a prototype risk assessment application for journalists and bloggers in dangerous areas around the world. Developed in partnership by Jorge Luis Sierra, who is an ICFJ Knight Fellow, and the the PeaceTech Lab’s Derek Caelin, Salama provides automated advice, training resources and useful links to enhance risk reduction capabilities of the user. The app was first shown at the 2015 Media Summit in Buenos Aires, and Jorge Luis has spent the ensuing months gathering funds for further development.

When complete, the app will provide customized feedback to at-risk journalists based upon their responses to questions about their personal security behavior, their level of communication within their organization, and their practices in the field. Users of the app can be securely connected to ICFJ resources so that additional resources and training can be made available. Training videos will instruct the user in free tools for safe communications online and best practices. The app will first support three languages - English, Spanish, and Arabic - with other languages planned. ICFJ and the Lab hope that Salama will be used to increase the safety of journalists around the world, especially in conflict zones, where a free and protected journalist community can be a powerful peacebuilding force.

PeaceTech Commentary

PeaceTech Lab staff provide analysis on an important trend in the news.

Women journalists raise their voices in Gaza

Rasha Abou Jalal | Al-Monitor I December, 31, 2015

In male-dominated Palestinian society, female journalists in the Gaza Strip have been striving to get ahead. By improving the image of women in the various media outlets and increasing local coverage of women's issues, they hope to make society recognize that women are essential partners to men, strengthen the role of women's organizations and develop the role of female Palestinian journalists.
Media is a powerful tool in any society; it has the power to educate, effect social change, and determine the political policies and elections that shape our lives. Diversifying the media landscape is critical to the health of societies, culture, peacebuilding, and democracy around the world.

Women are under-represented in media and nowhere is this more evident than the Gaza Strip. Gaza is a consistent hotbed of media attention. Despite being nearly half of the population, there are five women-focused media outlets throughout the area trying to address the gender imbalance in journalist ranks, and of the coverage that matters to women. Muna Khader, the coordinator of the Palestinian Female Journalists Club in Gaza, said the state of women in media in Gaza is not up to the level of the sacrifices that women make.

At PeaceTech Lab we are working to empower female journalists and civil society leaders from Turkey and Uganda to Myanmar and Iraq. Our PeaceTech Exchange workshops provide practical skills and strategies for mobile devices, social media, and citizen journalism platforms to provide women with a place to connect, to share their voice, and to improve their communities.

Commentary by Tim Receveur | Director, PeaceTech Exchanges | PeaceTech Lab

PeaceTech News Roundup

This week's compilation of the most important news stories highlighting the role of technology, media, and data in conflict zones. 
New media breaks the silence on Yemen
Miki Mistrati I Your Middle East I January 6, 2016

Journalists have launched a new website, Almashahid.net (The Viewer), on January 6. It aims to provide to provide independent news and human interest stories from inside war-torn Yemen to the information-starved Yemeni population.
Gaming as a game-changer for peace
Abigail Klein Leichman I ISRAEL21c I December 30, 2015

Games for Peace (G4P) brings together youth in conflict zones to play adapted popular video games requiring communication and collaboration. Rather than reinventing the wheel, G4P adapts internationally beloved games, particularly Minecraft, to accomplish its goal.
Can we prevent terrorism by checking immigrants’ social media accounts? No.
Zachary C. Steinert-Threlkeld and Jesse Driscoll I Washington Post I December 29, 2015

In the wake of the recent San Bernardino attack, the New York Times published a story that at least one of the perpetrators had expressed a desire to commit “violent jihad” on at least one social network. But writing computer programs to scrape social media and identify dangerous applicants will not be easy, cheap, or straightforward.
This Photo Collage Earned a Burmese Activist Six Months in Prison
Siobhán O'Grady I Foreign Policy I December 28, 2015

Activist Chaw Sandi Tun in Myanmar was sentenced to six months in prison for pointing out in a Facebook post that the Burmese officers’ new uniforms matched opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi’s traditional longyi skirt. Tun is not the only Burmese activist to come under government scrutiny for posts on social media.
Despite Unrest, The Israeli Tech Ecosystem Is Flourishing
Hillel Fud | TechCrunch I December 24, 2015

Over the past few months, violence has once again scarred Israel and the Palestinian Territories, yet despite the violence and the losses on both sides of the conflict, technology companies in the region are flourishing.
Israeli rounds of financing, both into Israeli companies and from local investors are on the rise.
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PeaceTech In Action

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Afghanistan: From Journalists to Advocates for  Women's Rights

Women Empowered, Inc. (WE-Afghanistan) is a Kabul based nonprofit organization that runs innovative media training on peace, democracy, and human rights in Afghanistan to advance gender equality and access to education for women and girls. The organization focuses on the importance of women's rights through a combination of approaches including advocacy and awareness raising as well as training and capacity building opportunities for women.
 
WE-Afghanistan was a 2014 recipient of a Journalists and Writers Foundation (JWF) grant to train 24 journalists over a span of six months on skills and strategies to effectively report on democracy and women's rights as well as other human rights issues. This training brought young journalists together for a two-phase program which included knowledge building opportunities about the legal status of women and actual field experience with media outlets. The program is designed to influence the field of journalism so that women’s equality and challenges to democracy and human rights are actively reported in the media. After its successful completion, the journalism and human rights training was organized for a second time; WE-Afghanistan is planning on raising funds for additional sessions.

PeaceTech Commentary

PeaceTech Lab staff provide analysis on an important trend in the news.

U.S. meets tech leaders, forms task force to fight online militants

Reuters I Dustin Volz and Mari Saito I January 8, 2016
 
The Obama administration on Friday sent its top national security officials to meet tech industry leaders in Silicon Valley and announced a new task force to counter online propaganda as the United States tries to crack down on the unprecedented use of the Internet by jihadists.
The US government is recognizing the potential impact of a deeper, more intentional collaboration with key technology companies and their leaders. Officials from both sides got together with the intention of coordinating efforts to quell the use of social media and other technology tools by terrorists, but their meeting only further highlights the biggest gap preventing true progress. Local actors need more resources and training to implement technology solutions for conflict management and resolution. That is why PeaceTech Lab’s PeaceTech Exchanges focus on building the capacity of targeted constituents that already play peacebuilding roles.

Technology permits the United States government to engage with groups like ISIS from afar. It allows technology companies to monitor what kind of content is facilitated on their platforms. But these technology tools will produce the intended impact discussed at these meetings – a containment of how jihadists use the Internet – only when a third type of actor is understood to be just as important: peacebuilders who understand technology.

Commentary by Matt Boote I Outreach Manager | PeaceTech Lab

PeaceTech News Roundup

This week's compilation of the most important news stories highlighting the role of technology, media, and data in conflict zones. 
Gaza journalist says he's done writing about politics after being tortured in Hamas jail
Fares Akram I Associated Press I January 12, 2016

"I've decided not to talk about the general situation anymore," al-Aloul said in an interview at his home Tuesday, a day after he was released. "The experience I went through was very difficult."
Indians and Pakistanis are changing their profile photos to send peace messages to their governments
Sonam Joshi I Mashable I January 12, 2016

In the last few days, several Indian and Pakistanis have been changing their Facebook profile photographs to send messages of peace to their governments. The campaign had been originally started by Mumbai filmmaker Ram Subramanian in October, and was revived by him again last week, after the Pathankot attacks. He has been joined by others from the two countries.
 
ISIS Has Built A Secure Messaging App
Patrick Tucker I Defense one I January 12, 2016

ISIS has a new Android app for exchanging secure messages, joining another app that distributes propaganda and recruiting material, according to a counterterrorism network called the Ghost Security Group. The app, called Amaq Agency, joins ISIS’ other known methods of communication to individuals and groups.
Assad, Hezbollah Supporters Mock Starving Besieged
Jamie Dettmer I Voice of America I January 11, 2016

Online supporters of the Assad regime and Hezbollah launched a social media campaign during the past few days to mock starving civilians in Madaya, which has been under siege by the Syrian army and Lebanese Shi'ite fighters since July. They posted photos of spreads of food and skeletons on Twitter (with the hashtag, which means solidarity with the siege of Madaya).
America’s New Plan to Fight ISIS Online
Patrick Tucker I Defense one I January 11, 2016

On Friday, State Department officials announced that they would revamp their efforts to counter ISIS messaging online — among other ways, by opening a new “Global Engagement Center.” State’s new Center aims to have more engagement with third parties and people that can actually engage with humans on social networks, not just post messages at them; and it will use data to tailor messages and campaigns.
Iran-Saudi Arabia row adds fuel for hackers on both sides
Jack Detsch I The Christian Science Monitor I January 11, 2016

Renewed tension between longtime regional rivals Saudi Arabia and Iran appears to be spilling online, signaling a sectarian-motivated cyberconflict in the Middle East.
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Upcoming Event

Tune into a live Twitter Chat on January 28th, 10am EST with PeaceTech experts around the globe using the hashtag #scalepeacetech. 

PeaceTech In Action

Stories of peacebuilders using technology, media, and data in the field. 


REFUNITE- reconnecting families with one click


Refunite is a mobile and internet-based platform developed in 2008 to help families of refugees and internally displaced peoples (IDPs) find and communicate with missing family members. Refunite is available to people around the world and reaches refugees in 17 different countries by partnering with a variety of organizations including the Clinton Global Initiative, International Rescue Committee, UNHCR and telecommunication companies such as Etisalat, Zain, Ericsson and others.

The mobile platform allows refugees to submit personal identification information into a searchable database, which can then be found by their family or friends. To date, Refunite has reconnected 1500 refugees with their families and has over 400,000 profiles on its database. Refunite demonstrates how PeaceTech needs to address questions around capacity and capability for its end-users. It has grown as a result of volunteers in refugee camps who show and educate refugees the platform, demonstrating how to use the platform and what information is important to provide.

PeaceTech Commentary

PeaceTech Lab staff provide analysis on an important trend in the news.

Google says ISIS must be locked out of the open web

Samuel Gibbs I The Guardian I January 20, 2016

"ISIS propaganda has been effective at spreading information online. It has produced slick videos, hijacked existing social media trends including hashtags, and used bots to spread its messages. Online, it has made itself look bigger and more widespread than it physically is in Syria and surrounding areas."
Technology and social media titans have been a focal point in the debate around how to combat extremist ISIS narratives online. And while still supporters of free speech, significant changes by way of resources and statements indicate an increasing willingness by the private sector to lead. Google Ideas’ Director Jared Cohen has called for a pushback on the open web, and Facebook announced a new program to combat radicalization in Europe. But how can these companies balance this effort with their guiding business principals?

To walk the fine line of free speech while still pushing against ISIS, these companies must engage in PeaceTech partnerships that provide valuable context and expertise. Facebook, for instance, is initiating its pilot project in Germany, who has taken in over 800,000 Syrian refugees since the start of the war. To tackle unique local challenges and uphold its ideal for free speech as much as possible, it has enlisted Germany-based Bertelsmann Foundation to monitor and delete racist posts. For Google to experience success in “locking out” ISIS from the open web, partnerships with peacebuilding organizations must also be engaged in to generate counter narratives that confront ISIS-propaganda and create alternative and pro-peace interpretations of Islam. 
              
Commentary by Hanne Dalmut | Senior Specialist | PeaceTech Lab

PeaceTech News Roundup

This week's compilation of the most important news stories highlighting the role of technology, media, and data in conflict zones. 
Moroccan investigative journalist released after 10 months in jail
Roy Greenslade I The Guardian I January 19, 2016

A Moroccan investigative journalist was released from prison on Sunday (17 January) after serving a 10-month sentence for adultery in a case that rights groups described as politically driven. Hicham Mansouri told a press conference that, after his arrest in March last year, the police questioned him about his supposed connection with Islamist movements rather than the charges he later faced.
Turkey in crisis: Renewal of conflict with Kurdish militants is accompanied by a highly toxic political and media climate
Laura Pitel I Independent I January 19, 2016

Journalists say that a severe crackdown on media in recent years has encouraged self-censorship among news outlets. Even Turkey’s Western allies worry that the censorious climate is deepening national fault lines and damaging the prospects of peace.
When Good Drones Go Bad
Brian Barrett I WIRED I January 18, 2016

Late in the summer of 2014, surveillance footage of Syria’s Tabqa air base showed up on YouTube. That it was taken by ISIS forces is unremarkable. That it was shot with a DJI Phantom FC40—a popular consumer drone at the time, the kind you might have found under the Christmas tree—certainly was.

 
Freed Americans reunited with family members
Andrew Roth and William Branigin I The Washington Post I January 18, 2016

Jason Rezaian, the Washington Post reporter freed Saturday after almost 18 months of incarceration in an Iranian prison, met with Post editors Monday for the first time since his release and said he was “feeling good” physically as he recovers in a U.S. military hospital here. Rezaian, 39, was flown out of Iran on Sunday along with two other freed Iranian Americans as part of a prisoner deal with Iran linked to the implementation of a landmark nuclear agreement.
Facebook begins Europe-wide campaign against extremist posts
Paul Carrel I Reuters I January 18, 2016

Facebook Inc (FB.O) began a Europe-wide campaign on Monday to thwart extremist posts on social media, after German politicians in particular raised concerns about a rise in xenophobic comments linked to an influx of refugees.
A News Agency with Scoops Directly from ISIS, and a Veneer of Objectivity
 Rukmini Callimachi I The New York Times I January 14, 2016

The San Bernardino shootings. The killing rampage this week in a Baghdad mall. On Thursday, it was the explosion that ripped through a Starbucks in Jakarta. In each of those terrorist attacks, an outlet called the Amaq News Agency was first with the news that the Islamic State was going to claim responsibility.
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PeaceTech In Action

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The Umati Project

The Umati project, out of the iHub in Kenya, seeks to better understand the use of dangerous speech in conflict zones. The project monitors blogs, forums, online newspapers, Facebook and Twitter for dangerous speech that may incite violent conflict. It emerged out of concern that mobile and digital technologies may have played a catalyzing role in Kenyan 2007/08 post-election violence.

Initially, the Umati project relied on a manual, largely human process to collect and categorize online hate speech. The project acknowledges that human input is still invaluable to augment the automated processes - context, for instance is not something a machine can learn. 

Recently, the Umati project has taken a step forward with phase two, automating the monitoring and processing of content. With support from MacArthur Foundation, it now employs Machine Learning techniques and Natural Language Processing to detect, collect, select, and sort hate and dangerous speech. This increases the efficiency and scalability of the project. For example, the project has scaled to Nigeria and partnered with both Search for Common Ground and PeaceTech Lab to pilot and test in South Sudan. Phase two of the Umati project is going to be released in February 2016 and the open source monitoring tools can be found on Github.

PeaceTech Commentary

PeaceTech Lab staff provide analysis on an important trend in the news.

Social Media Made the Arab Spring, But Couldn’t Save It

Jessi Hempel I WIRED I January 26, 2016

The Arab Spring carried the promise that social media and the Internet were going to unleash a new wave of positive social change. But the past five years have shown that liberty isn’t the only end toward which these tools can be turned.
History is filled with cases of technology upsetting the status quo. Even the humble photocopier was lauded as transformative for organizing during the fall of the Soviet Union. But as the article says, a tool can be used for bad or good.

Social media is the newest chapter of this story. Over the past five years, Blogs and Bullets initiative, a partnership of the PeaceTech Lab, the US Institute of Peace, and George Washington University, has studied this very phenomenon and we are finding that its effects are just as nuanced as its predecessors. This nuance should not leave us disheartened. The opportunity of the moment comes from the dizzying pace of adoption. Every day new voices are finding a global audience and networks are finding a new way to organize. Part of the work of peacetech is amplifying the voices for peace and strengthening their networks. 

Commentary by John Pope | Special Assistant to the President | PeaceTech Lab

PeaceTech News Roundup

This week's compilation of the most important news stories highlighting the role of technology, media, and data in conflict zones. 
Jim: The James Foley Story review - simplistic but powerful look at journalistic bravery
Jordan Hoffman I The Guardian I January 28, 2016

While never dismissing its dangers, Jim: The James Foley Story, directed by one of Foley’s longtime friends, makes a strong case for the necessity of conflict journalism. The world needs people like Foley, and this film argues that cameras are every bit as important as firearms in the current struggle.
 
Taliban targets a major achievement of the U.S. war in Afghanistan: the private media
Ali M. Latifi and Shashank Bengali I Los Angeles Times I January 27, 2016

The spread of private media has been one of the only clear successes in Afghanistan since the U.S.-led international coalition invaded in 2001 and toppled a Taliban government. Tolo, which airs a mix of news coverage and original entertainment, has dominated the market since its launch in 2003.
Daring human smugglers use social media to lure migrants fleeing Syria
Shira Rubin I USA Today I January 26, 2016

The “Smugglers Market” group on Facebook has 640 members and features contact information for smugglers, as well as “competitive prices” for a litany of forged documents necessary to resettle in Europe. They range from marriage licenses for $50 to university degrees for $350 and a new passport for $1,250.
In age of ISIS, will you lose web freedoms of Arab Spring?
Rebecca MacKinnon I CNN I January 24, 2016

With headlines swirling about the Islamic State's use of social media to recruit people from across the globe -- sometimes mobilizing them to kill on ISIS' behalf -- we're left with a challenge: How do we in the democratic world prevent terrorists from capitalizing on the Internet without compromising our own freedom?
The Fake Facebook News Driving Iraq’s Wars
NIQASH I The Daily Beast I January 22, 2016

Many Iraqis say their most trusted source of news is word-of-mouth so it makes sense that they would turn to social media, to get information they believe they can trust. However, manipulated videos, photoshopped pictures and other false news and disturbing rumors are shared continuously by Iraqis craving information and, in some cases, anything that confirms their own bias.
 
Save the Children: hackathons could help fight child inequality crisis
Graeme Wearden I The Guardian I January 22, 2016

While a large tech company such as Google would clearly have expertise to share, Save the Children is also looking for help from smaller firms, particularly in cyber-security, given the data protection challenges that working with young people poses.
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The Lab's Roundup highlighting stories on technology, media, and data in peacebuilding.
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PeaceTech In Action

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The Open Situation Room Exchange


PeaceTech Lab's Open Situation Room Exchange (OSRx) provides critical insights into economic, social, and political conditions on the ground in global conflict zones by connecting researchers, policymakers, practitioners, donors, legal and health professionals with critical data. OSRx finds, collects, analyzes, visualizes, and publishes conflict-related data and provides open datasets for peacebuilding programs to inform policy decisions to prevent violent conflict. 

The initial phase of this project provides a baseline view of conflict and instability worldwide with dashboards for over 150 countries including a real-time events map, social media and news analytics, and visualizations of structured indices, forecasts, and risk assessments. For social media analytics, OSRx uses Crimson Hexagon's powerful ForSight platform to build multi-language social media monitors that capture conversations around conflict, and then send the results via Application Programming Interface (API) to the OSRx. The Global Database of Events, Language and Tone (GDELT) provides news analytics - including a map of reports of protests and violence against civilians and an instability timeline that allows users to gauge world news sentiment around incidents occurring in a country.

The Lab plans to expand this initiative by continuing the development of the OSRx and building customized dashboards for organizations and individuals working in areas affected by violent conflict. OSRx is designed to provide local peacebuilders with the same kinds of resources and information that corporations use to manage their brands and this initiative is on its way to further expansion.

PeaceTech Commentary

PeaceTech Lab staff provide analysis on an important trend in the news.

Education As A Tool For Disrupting Terrorism

Karl Metha I TechCrunch I February 2, 2016

"Technology is providing us with a solid opportunity to rethink the way education is supported everywhere. Smartphones are the most relevant example, astonishing us every day with how ubiquitous the devices have become. After all, by 2020, 70 percent of the world’s population will own a smartphone — and be connected."
When discussing solutions that counter violent extremism, both education and technology are often raised as essential tools. And they are. But they aren’t panaceas that can be distributed without proper conflict contextualization. Their strength and weaknesses derive from the same place. Neither will eradicate violent extremism on their own because they are agnostic tools; their application can powerfully amplify a variety of directives.

This demonstrates two crucial gaps. First, we need to provide conflict sensitive education in the pre-k to post graduate settings to individuals often working closest to conflict. This includes not just children, but professionals such as engineers. Second, we need to bridge the knowledge gap that exists when local peacebuilders want to apply technology solutions to conflict situations. PeaceTech Lab works to fill these gaps through two efforts: collaboration with traditional educational institutions such as Drexel University and our PeaceTech Exchanges. These efforts illustrate that using technology and education as tools for disrupting terrorism is possible if we continue to radically collaborate across sectors toward a common goal.
Commentary by Matt Boote | Outreach Manager | PeaceTech Lab

PeaceTech News Roundup

This week's compilation of the most important news stories highlighting the role of technology, media, and data in conflict zones. 
Five ways tech is crowdsourcing women’s empowerment
Zara Rahman I The Guardian I February 3, 2016

Around the world, women’s rights advocates are crowdsourcing their own data rather than relying on institutional datasets. Providing a way for women to contribute data anonymously or with their own details, can be key to documenting violence and understanding the scale of a problem.
Russian drone footage shows the devastation of Syrian city
Christopher Miller I Mashable I February 2, 2016

A drone video published by a Russian media outlet shows the extent of destruction of Homs, Syria, after nearly five years of war. The sweeping aerial footage, filmed by RussiaWorks and uploaded on Jan. 24, gives a rare view of Syria's third largest city, which is now crumbling and deserted.
ISIS has reportedly released its first Android app
Barbara Tasch I Business Insider I February 2, 2016

Islamic State militants can now share their radio broadcasts all over the world through an Android app. The radio station, which targets European recruits, broadcasts ISIS propaganda, along with music. The radio station is used to broadcast claims of responsibility for attacks.
Google to deliver wrong 'top' search results to would-be jihadis 
David Barrett I Telegraph I February 2, 2016

Jihadi sympathizers who type extremism-related words into Google will be shown anti-radicalization links instead, under a pilot scheme announced by the internet giant. The new technology means people at risk of radicalization will be presented with internet links which are the exact opposite of their searches.

British journalist and French colleague released after arrest by Burundi security services
Aislinn Laing and Ilya Gridneff I Telegraph I January 30, 2016

A British journalist and his French colleague who were arrested in Burundi have been released. Phil Moore, 34, a freelance photographer on assignment for Le Monde, was detained along with Jean-Philippe Rémy, 49, the newspaper’s Africa Correspondent, and 15 alleged “opposition activists”.
App Competition To Help Syrian Children Read
Sky News I January 29, 2016

A competition has been launched to develop an app to help two million Syrian children who are out of school. The app will be offered to families still in Syria or those living abroad as refugees.
Can Tech And Data Science Prevent Violence In Conflict Zones?
Anne Field I Forbes I January 28, 2016

Using the power of technology, media and data analysis to prevent tensions and conflicts  in some of the world’s most violent areas from escalating: That’s the mission of PeaceTech Lab.
Refugee or Terrorist? IBM Thinks Its Software Has the Answer
Patrick Tucker I Defense one I January 27, 2016

A new tool to turn unstructured data into actionable intelligence could change the way law enforcement fights terrorism, and challenge the data-collection debate. IBM believes the tool could help governments separate real refugees from imposters, untangle terrorist cells, or even predict bomb attacks.
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Egypt: Mapping Sexual Harassment

HarassMap is an organization based in Egypt that collects instances of sexual harassment through crowdsourced SMS accounts and online reporting. Incident reports are then catalogued and mapped in a categorized online database.  

In an effort to create an Egyptian social culture that does not tolerate sexual harassment, HarrassMap leverages technology to gather data, engage in deeper research, and communicate campaigns that promote social responsibility. These campaigns dispel myths about sexual harassment, change perceptions that place blame on the harassed, promote a zero tolerance attitude towards sexual harassment, and mobilize people to take positive action against sexual harassment that happens to them or others.

Many sexual harassment incidents occur in public spaces, and approximately 57% of the women who reported incidents referenced drivers of buses and taxis as the perpetrators. To address this driver of conflict and safety issue, HarassMap has partnered with Uber Egypt to fight sexual harassment. All drivers are now required to participate in mandatory sexual harassment training and post car stickers that display their pledge to "take positive action against sexual harassment."

PeaceTech Commentary

PeaceTech Lab staff provide analysis on an important trend in the news.

Silicon Valley Should Join the War on Terrorism

John McCain I Bloomberg View I February 5, 2016

Encryption technology is easy to get hold of and doesn't require much sophistication to use. Islamic State knows this, and keeps close tabs on which technologies to direct its followers to in order to evade government surveillance. A recent article in the journal Foreign Affairs called it “the first terrorist group to hold both physical and digital territory: in addition to the swaths of land it controls in Iraq and Syria, it dominates pockets of the internet with relative impunity."
In claiming that the main issues for technologists and Silicon Valley executives are about privacy and profit, McCain overlooks practical and ethical explanations of why a "backdoor" approach to encryption is neither feasible nor wise. In Keys Under Doormats, Harold Abelson et al. note that proposals to provide exceptional access to data and communications for law enforcement agencies would undo years of progress in security and present major vulnerabilities and risks. Many recent cyber security failures - including the attack on the US Office of Personnel Management (OPM), in which 21.5 million personal files of US government employees were stolen - could have been prevented or have been far less damaging with encryption. As Bruce Schneier writes, "If the FBI can eavesdrop on your text messages or get at your computer’s hard drive, so can other governments. So can criminals. So can terrorists."
 
At PeaceTech Lab, we work with groups in conflict and post-conflict zones, where digital security is an essential means to operate safely and avoid detection and targeting by both repressive regimes and extremist groups. McCain's suggested policy response to the threat of extremism would not only endanger the economy and personal information of Americans, it would also endanger a range of actors currently using digital technologies to communicate and combat the threat of extremist groups and the drivers of violent conflict in their own communities. Without viable technical solutions for preventing large scale vulnerabilities, McCain's argument is short-sighted and potentially ​dangerous.
Commentary by Giselle Lopez | Specialist | PeaceTech Lab

PeaceTech News Roundup

This week's compilation of the most important news stories highlighting the role of technology, media, and data in conflict zones. 
Can Your PlayStation Stop a War?
Derek Caelin I Foreign Policy I February 8, 2016

Video games are being used for everything from helping find cures for HIV to losing weight. It's time to start using them to make peace, and there are already those in the field putting the model to work.
Palestinians, Israelis face off on Facebook
Adnan Abu Amer I Al Monitor I February 8, 2016

Since the outbreak of the Palestinian unrest Oct. 1, coupled with field confrontations and armed operations carried out by Palestinians against Israelis in the West Bank, Israel has been conducting successive military operations on the Palestinian territories. Meanwhile, another "intifada" broke out in the virtual world on social networks.
Big data's big role in humanitarian aid
Mary K. Pratt I Computer World I February 8, 2016

Big data can be used to identify patterns associated with conflict, presenting huge opportunities for better-informed efforts to prevent violence and conflict. Forward-thinking peacebuilders are discussing how to use information to determine future outcomes and develop plans to affect those outcomes.
Google To Counter Radicalization By Serving Anti-ISIS Ads As Results To Extremist Search Queries
Menchie Mendoza I Tech Times I February 6, 2016

Google is launching anti-radicalization campaigns through its search engine aimed at countering the online influence of extremist groups such as ISIS. As a pilot, select non-profits will help produce narrative advertising that counters extremism when a user enters keywords that have radicalization themes.
Hacking the Refugee Crisis
Therese Raphael I Bloomberg View I February 5, 2016

While world leaders gathered for a massive donor conference on the Syrian refugee crisis, in a makeshift studio in east London tech entrepreneurs gathered to talk about projects that would provide skills, jobs and opportunities for refugees of the conflict. Ideas presented were developed in consultation with refugees themselves. 
Twitter Steps Up Efforts To Combat ISIS
Patrick Tucker I Defense One I February 5, 2016

After pressure from lawmakers and others, Twitter  announced updates and revealed recent efforts to counter violent extremist messages on the site. Another step the company announced is deploying spam-fighting software to identify potential pro-ISIS Twitter accounts.
Egyptian cartoonist arrested for 'unauthorized' Facebook page
Walaa Hussein I Al Monitor I February 5, 2016

Egyptian caricaturist Islam Gawish was arrested and interrogated about drawing political caricatures targeting symbols of the Egyptian state and then posting them on social media. After protests and controversy generated through social media about his arrest, he was released without charges.
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Training Women on Digital Rights

Political and social instability in Pakistan has led to greater internet surveillance and heightened censorship policies. Digital Rights Foundation (DRF) is a Pakistan-based NGO which seeks to address these challenges through advocacy that focuses on freedom of expression issues, the right to online privacy, and the creation of human rights oriented legislation.  

DRF trains, informs, and involves civil society groups about digital rights, digital security, and how to build peace through countering online harassment. It has spearheaded campaigns to call for the amendment or repeal of cybercrime legislation and has started dialogue initiatives focused on privacy, surveillance, and blasphemy legislation. In addition, it publishes reports and research that support these efforts.

DRF specifically advocates for digital access and internet security for women through its "Hamara Internet" campaign, which means "Our Internet" in Urdu. This effort maps incidents of electronic violence against women and aims to change public perceptions about the role Pakistani women play in digital spaces. 

PeaceTech Commentary

PeaceTech Lab staff provide analysis on an important trend in the news.

Facebook gives free advertising to anti-terrorism advocates

Madhumita Murgia I Telegraph I February 15, 2016
 
"Facebook has a new plan to fight Islamic State recruiting and hate speech online - it will offer free advertising to users who fight terrorism, by speaking out against terrorist propaganda. According to a report in the Wall Street Journal, Facebook will provide advertising credits of up to $1,000 (£688) to counter-terror and hate speech activists such as German comedian Arbi el Ayachi, who released a video disputing anti-Muslim sentiments from a Greek right-wing group."
There are two very exciting things about Facebook’s new program. First, it will create lots of data on how to do counter terrorism messaging. Built in to the advertising tool are the types of monitoring and evaluation requirements the peacebuilding field typically strives to create. It allows for targeting based off of demographic and interest information and helps measure whether your message engages people. With proper coordination and data sharing this could inform counter terrorism messaging strategy across all platforms.

The second exciting thing about this approach is that the mechanism is already there. Facebook is tapping into the positive attributes of its existing technology, rather than creating something new. This is more efficient than starting from scratch and avoids reinventing the wheel. There are still a lot of possibilities – and need – for innovation but there is also a lot of low hanging fruit.
 
Commentary by John Pope | Special Assistant to the President | PeaceTech Lab

PeaceTech News Roundup

This week's compilation of the most important news stories highlighting the role of technology, media, and data in conflict zones. 
Islamic State finds 'diminishing returns' on Twitter: report
Dustin Volz I Reuters I February 18, 2016

The Islamic State's English-language reach on Twitter has stalled in recent months amid a stepped-up crackdown against the extremist group's army of digital proselytizers, who have long relied on the site to recruit and radicalize new adherents, according to a study being released on Thursday.
Iris scan tech sees refugees in Jordan receive food assistance in blink of an eye
RT I February 18, 2016

An iris scan payment system has been launched by the UN World Food Programme (WFP) in Jordanian supermarkets to help Syrian refugees staying in migrant camps to conduct purchases at local shops using their eye instead of credit cards, cash, or vouchers.
Opinion: Beating ISIS propaganda? We can't just leave it to governments
Jonathan Russell I CNN I February 17, 2016

Governments cannot defeat extremism by themselves. If they're going to win this generational struggle against ideological fanatics then they are going to have to triumph in the battle of ideas and win the war of words. And that is not going to happen on Capitol Hill or in Downing Street.
The NSA’s SKYNET program may be killing thousands of innocent people
Christian Grothoff & J.M. Porup I Ars Technica I February 16, 2016

In 2014, the former director of both the CIA and NSA proclaimed that "we kill people based on metadata." Now, a new examination of previously published Snowden documents suggests that many of those people may have been innocent.
Google search says ‘Muslims support terrorism’ in autocorrect slip-up
Andrew Griffin I Independent I February 15, 2016

Google was autocorrecting searches so that they read “Muslims support terrorism”, according to reports. In a slip-up that has now been fixed, Google would tell people searching for “Muslims report terrorism” that they might have been looking instead for “Muslims support terrorism”.

Technology is a better fix for the Syrian crisis than donations and aid
Monty Munford I Forbes I February 11, 2016

While governments flounder, other initiatives are proving to be more relevant. One such network is Techfugees, a global network of tech entrepreneurs that began as a UK crowdsourced hack and has transformed into a global movement.

ISIS' new 'help desk' offers advice on encryption and how to hide from governments
Thomas Tamblyn I Huffington Post I February 11, 2016

The Middle East Media Research Institute has published a new report which details the worrying ease with which ISIS fighters are able to get support on hiding themselves online. The report revealed that ISIS' 'helpdesk', which offers technical advice on social media use and encryption, had been escalated in its efficiency by an 'alarming' amount.
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Ononymous: Digital Security Game and Series

Ononymous is a fictional robot who lives in the town of Secure-a-Lot, starring in the digital security training game called Ono. Activists can play this game online to strengthen their digital security skills. Players are first instructed to download software that would allow them to communicate with Ono through OTR or Off the Record instant messaging. Step-by-step, players are then taught strategies and tips about encryption and digital security. As a peacetech tool, it helps ensure activists, and the communities they serve, are protected.

Ononymous originally starred in "Survival in the Digital Age," an animation series about digital security, online privacy, and access to information. The animated web series examines the way that people use the internet, computers, and mobile technology. It helps viewers understand the risks of living in a digital age.

Both tools were developed by Tactical Tech, a Berlin-based nonprofit collective which helps political actors and rights advocates use digital technologies to expose and shape social issues. Tactical Tech seeks to empower activists with educational tools because it recognizes the need to use ICTs without compromising security, freedom of expression, and access to information.

PeaceTech Commentary

PeaceTech Lab staff provide analysis on an important trend in the news.

The global tech community tackles the refugee crisis

Suzanne Bearne I The Guardian I February 19, 2016
 
"At a co-working hub in the trendy Berlin neighbourhood of Kreuzberg, about 25 refugees, mainly from Syria, have gathered together for the introductory session of a three-month course teaching them how to code. Set up by non-profit organisation ReDi School of Digital Integration, from this month around 50 students will start to learn how to build websites and apps while being mentored by technology specialists."
There are many faces of PeaceTech -- exciting innovations made quickly and efficiently by peacetech entrepreneurs wanting to help in the refugee crisis. Some are quick fixes to urgent problems like information needed by the arriving masses. Others more structural, like the burst of tech courses designed for refugee job training.
 
Now imagine what might be possible were the peacetech community focused "upstream" on tackling the drivers of conflict that led to the violence that produced the refugee crisis in the first place? Imagine communities in Iraq equipped with tech, data, and training to combat corruption and bad governance before ISIS could gain a foothold? Imagine Syrian activists at the start of that conflict enabled with better tools to communicate with potential defectors and the means to mount a more effective non violent civil resistance movement?
 
In short, imagine the power of more, better, faster peacetech. It's what we do every day at the at PeaceTech Lab. 

Commentary by Sheldon Himelfarb | President and CEO | PeaceTech Lab

PeaceTech News Roundup

This week's compilation of the most important news stories highlighting the role of technology, media, and data in conflict zones. 
How the changing media is changing terrorism
Jason Burke I The Guardian I February 25, 2016

New technologies have not only made it possible to produce propaganda with astonishing ease – they have also made it far easier to disseminate these films and images.
Will ISIS launch a mass drone attack on a stadium?
Clive Irving I The Daily Beast I February 24, 2016

A team of British intelligence analysts has drawn up a chilling scenario in which terrorists launch a swarm of small drones in an attack on a major sporting event like the Super Bowl. The experts believe that ISIS has already recognized the opportunity provided by off-the-shelf drone technology in its planning of attacks on Western cities.
EXCLUSIVE: ISIS Threatens Mark Zuckerberg and Jack Dorsey
Gilad Shiloach  I Vocativ I February 24, 2016

ISIS threatened Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg and Twitter’s Jack Dorsey  with promises that its hackers are fighting back against efforts to wipe social media platforms of accounts promoting terrorism. A 25-minute propaganda video showing pictures of Zuckerberg and Dorsey covered with bullet holes was uncovered by Vocativ.
Military-Funded study predicts when you’ll protest on Twitter
Patrick Tucker I Defense One I February 23, 2016

A new study by researchers at Arizona State University, Texas A&M, and Yahoo can predict with 70 percent accuracy the likelihood that your next tweet will be part of a protest. Suhas Ranganath and Fred Morstatter's paper is part of a grant to study how crisis manifests itself in social media. 
Turkey detains journalist who risks his life to report from Syria
Roy Greenslade I The Guardian I February 19, 2016

A Syrian journalist who has been living for five years in Turkey, was detained by the Turkish immigration authorities on February 17 after applying for residency. The reasons for the arrest of are unclear although a journalist familiar with the case told the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) that he was questioned about his journalistic work.
A startup wants to use eye tracking to detect If Syrian refugees are terrorists
Joseph Neighbor I Vice I February 19, 2016

Have you committed any acts of terrorism? Do you have ties to ISIS or al Qaeda or any other terrorist organizations? These are questions a Utah startup hopes to ask Syrian and Iraqi refugees after hooking them up to EyeDetect, a new kind of lie detector that measures eye movements in order to detect deception.
Twitter suspensions may actually be curbing ISIS propaganda
Ashley Carman I The Verge I February 19, 2016

Twitter’s efforts to suspend the accounts of suspected ISIS sympathizers is having an effect on repeat account offenders' activity levels and reach, according to a new report from researchers at George Washington University’s Program on Extremism.
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Verona: Swipe right for world peace

Verona is a mobile application that promotes empathy and understanding between people. It harnesses mobile technology to build global empathy and to bridge the divide between polarized political and cultural communities. Founded by Detroit-based dating coach Matthew Nolan, Verona was designed to promote communication and social interaction.

The swipe-based social app allows users to browse photos and descriptions of people with opposing views. Then, users are able to “like” or “pass” the person by swiping to the right or left. Once two people “like” each other, the matched pair is able to communicate by text or video chats. The digital platform has already built communication streams between thousands of people in countries all over the world.

Verona promotes peace by facilitating friendly and romantic relationships between opposing groups. It has been used to connect Israelis and Palestinians, Republicans and Democrats, as well as Donald Trump supporters and Latino Americans.
 Verona is available for free download on Android and Apple devices.

PeaceTech Commentary

PeaceTech Lab staff provide analysis on an important trend in the news.

Inside the Obama administration’s attempt to bring tech companies into the fight against ISIS

Sheera Frenkel I BuzzFeed I February 25, 2016

Dozens of U.S. government officials, tech executives, and entertainment representatives gather in D.C., under a cloud of growing anti-Muslim sentiment and the spiralling fight between Apple and the FBI. They flew in from New York, San Francisco, and Los Angeles to hole up in a windowless D.C. conference room for nearly five hours on Wednesday — representatives of the country’s top tech and entertainment companies brainstorming with U.S. counterterrorism officials to tackle one tough question: how to stop the spread of ISIS online.

“They wanted to figure out how to fight ISIS online, how to understand the psychology of those who support ISIS, and they invited almost no one who speaks for those of us in the Arab world, and from Arab communities, who have everything to lose from ISIS’s growing popularity...”

It is becoming clear that in countering ISIS propaganda and recruitment efforts, the messenger is even more important than the message itself. Recognition of this is starting to take root across the policy making world. The question for the international community is how best to help. One approach is to find ways to provide the situational awareness, tools and resources to local advocates for peace in a way that doesn’t dictate tasking. There are already local advocates engaged in prevention, deradicalization and disengagement efforts.

They are the right messengers, but need support from the international community in a way that allows them to determine the right strategy and actions for their specific approach. By providing more agency to those on the front lines, impactful opportunities emerge for connecting voices from across the world, especially Muslim voices, to organic, local trusted efforts.

Commentary by Noel Dickover | Director, PeaceTech Data Networks | PeaceTech Lab

PeaceTech News Roundup

This week's compilation of the most important news stories highlighting the role of technology, media, and data in conflict zones. 
Raspberry Pi-powered transmitters broadcast Syrian radio
Chris Vallance I BBC I March 1, 2016

Raspberry Pi computers are being used to power "micro" radio transmitters in Syria.The Pocket FMs were designed as a way of providing Syrians with independent radio.The devices have a range of between 4 to 6km (2.5 to 3.75 miles), which is enough to cover an entire town.

Brazilian police arrest Facebook's Latin America vice-president
Jonathan Watts I The Guardian I March 1, 2016

In the latest clash between a US internet company and Brazilian law enforcement authorities, police in São Paulo have detained the regional vice-president of Facebook for failing to provide information requested by a criminal investigation. 
360-degree video brings the reality of Syria to Australian eyes
Jenni Ryall I Mashable I March 1, 2016

Amnesty International Australia is using 360-degree video technology to bring the destroyed streets of Damascus and Aleppo through virtual reality. Amnesty is inviting Australians to experience the war zone first hand via their mobile phone. 

Nokia Networks and Hacking Team accused of selling surveillance equipment to Egyptian government
Mary-Ann Russon I International Business Times UK I March 1, 2016

Human rights advocacy group Privacy International has accused Finnish telecommunications firm Nokia Networks and controversial Italian cybersecurity firm Hacking Team of secretly selling surveillance equipment to the Egyptian government so it could spy on Egyptian dissidents.
VR films work great for charity. What about changing minds?
Angela Watercutter I Wired I March 1, 2016

“With the other VR films we’ve demonstrated some success with fundraising,” Arora says, “so we wanted to take it to the next level and see if VR can be a tool for peace-building in the world’s most intractable conflict.”
ISIS hackers attacked the wrong Google
Gilad Shiloach I Vocativ I February 29, 2016

A group of ISIS hackers claimed responsibility for a series of online attacks and falsely boasted that they hacked Google. The group, calling itself the “Cyber Caliphate Army,” vowed in a post on the messaging app Telegram that they would attack Google on Monday. But a few hours later, their promise fell through.

Twitter launches #PositionOfStrength campaign for women empowerment In India and the MENA region
Federico Guerrini I Forbes I February 28, 2016

Twitter’s #PositionOfStrength, a women’s empowerment initiative launched on Friday to help female Internet users bridge the gender equality gap online, using online platforms to expand their reach and influence.
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Upcoming Event

Join PeaceTech Lab and BBC Media Action on March 14, 11am EST at USIP for Uniting or Dividing? Media and Politics in the Arab World, a panel discussion that will explore the relationship between media and social cohesion in the aftermath of the Arab uprisings. 

PeaceTech In Action

Stories of peacebuilders using technology, media, and data in the field. 


Missing Maps: Using mapping technology for crisis response

Missing Maps  allows volunteers to map the most vulnerable places in the developing world  to support humanitarian organizations. The focus of this initiative is on preemptive mapping, which identifies data and geographic information about vulnerable communities before disaster strikes.Volunteers from around the world contribute to the mapping process through the use of OpenStreetMap, an online, open-source editable map of the world. These maps are then shared with humanitarian organizations including the American Red Cross, British Red Cross, and Doctors Without Borders, which use the information to plan risk reduction and disaster response activities.

Missing Maps also hosts "mapathons" in high-risk cities where volunteers are trained to trace satellite imagery and add it to the OpenStreetMap platform. Participants then add critical details about neighborhoods, street names, and evacuation centers. Since 2014, 6,949 volunteers have contributed over 22 million edits to the maps, adding over 2 million buildings and 200,000 roads. These crowd-sourced maps provide much needed information to crisis response organizations and first responders.

PeaceTech Commentary

PeaceTech Lab staff provide analysis on an important trend in the news.

The hyperlinks of hybrid warfare: Social media meets extremism

 Tara Sonenshine I Huffington Post I March 8, 2016
 
ISIS propaganda leverages social media to get out messages, not because the Internet is hip or cool or reaches young people, but because it is one dissemination tool available to them, at low cost, and low risk of being physically attacked. ISIS has a storyline, and given the opportunity, they would use traditional media like radio, satellite television, and other platforms to spread their messages. In fact, much of the ISIS propaganda is found not just in the tweets and social media posts, but in the hyperlinks embedded in violent messages.

Often when thinking of peace, we tend to define it in terms of countering conflict. Peacebuilding efforts cover a wide swath: from anti-extremism to anti-corruption, from anti-racism efforts to anti-gender based violence. The above article (refreshingly) construes peace in terms of its positive aspects - prosperity, innovation, creativity, and problem solving.

One of the primary goals of the PeaceTech Lab is to foster innovation in conflict zones. From our work with the PeaceTech Exchanges, bringing low-cost, easy-to-use tools to peacebuilders to build up their work, to the groundTruth corporate member program, designed to help companies manage their risk and promote business in frontier markets, we want to mobilize resources for people struggling to solve conflict problems. Innovators like those at the ArabNet conference are precisely the sort of people who, given adequate means, could really resolve longstanding MENA challenges. They are the ones not simply focusing on the problem, but on building something positive and new.

Commentary by Derek Caelin | Specialist | PeaceTech Lab

PeaceTech News Roundup

This week's compilation of the most important news stories highlighting the role of technology, media, and data in conflict zones. 
Palantir turns its software toward Syria
Michal Lev-Ram I Fortune I March 9, 2016

As Syria’s civil war and refugee crisis raged, a joint team plugged data from at least 3,000 YouTube videos into Palantir’s Gotham software tool. Eventually additional data sources, including news reports of government attacks on rebel-held areas, were also fed into Gotham, creating a robust, real-time map that indicated which civilian populations were getting hit hardest.
Europe's refugee crisis: How one Wi-Fi network is offering a lifeline for Lesbos migrants
Frances Marcellin I ZDNet I March 9, 2016

Having managed to leave [war-torn] countries, if the refugees survive being smuggled by boat and arrive on Lesbos's beaches, the first thing they need is a Wi-Fi connection so they can find help and shelter. These moments, where humanitarian aid and technology combine, are vital to the refugees.

Middle-East tech conferences drive the region forward with confidence, not war
Monty Munford I Forbes I March 7, 2016

In many respects, the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region is booming, not with the sounds of war, but with investors and startups finally realising that the only way to stability in MENA is to have a tech ecosystem and infrastructure that entice entrepreneurs, not soldiers.
Twitter praised for cracking down on use by Islamic State
Jim Finkle I Reuters I March 7, 2016

Officials with the nonprofit Simon Wiesenthal Center praised Twitter Inc on Monday for increasing efforts to thwart Islamic State's use of its platform for recruitment and propaganda. The center's Digital Terrorism and Hate Project gave Twitter a grade of "B" in a report card of social networking companies' efforts to fight online activity by militant groups such as IS.
Anti-terror cops take down one thousand pieces of ISIS propaganda from internet every week
Jason Beattie I Mirror I March 6, 2016

Anti-terror cops are taking down 1,000 pieces extremist material and ISIS propaganda from the internet each week. Home Office figures show Counter Terrorism police last year removed 55,000 posts, articles and messages promoting or glorifying terrorism.

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PeaceTech In Action

Stories of peacebuilders using technology, media, and data in the field. 


Girls for Change

Girls for Change is a tech initiative founded in Dharavi, one of the largest slums in the world in Mumbai, India. A group of girls from the ages of 12 to 14 girls used MIT App Inventor to develop an app called “Women Fight Back” as a way to fight sexual assault and harassment in their community.

Women Fight Back is a user-friendly application with four main features, including an SMS alert system that sends an emergency text to five contacts simultaneously at the click of a button, an emergency alarm button which also calls the police, a feature which immediately calls the user’s parents, and a location feature which sends the user’s location information to emergency contacts. The app is available on Google Play in India and has already been distributed to 50 members of the community. Girls for Change is in the process of developing more apps to address issues like water access, domestic violence, child abuse, and educational opportunities for young girls.

Crowdfunding for Change

One of the major challenges of life in informal settlement communities is the danger of fire. Last January, a fire broke out in the Dharavi girls' neighborhood, leaving many of the girls homeless. With the support of the PeaceTech Lab, Girls for Change is running a crowdfunding campaign on Generosity throughout the month of March. The campaign seeks to provide girls with the resources to recover from the fire as well as to pursue their work with technology.

Click Here to Help Girls for Change Rebuild After a Devastating Fire

PeaceTech Commentary

PeaceTech Lab staff provide analysis on an important trend in the news.

A 360 degree view of the famine in South Sudan

                                   David Leveille I PRI I March 11, 2016

The images of famine in Africa are familiar by now: emaciated bodies, parched landscapes, sprawling UN refugee camps where people line up for desperately needed rations of food and water. But a team of journalists and filmmakers have taken the visuals of this crisis even further. They've produced a virtual reality documentary about South Sudan's brutal civil war, and the widespread famine that shadows it.

The images of famine in Africa are familiar by now: emaciated bodies, parched landscapes, sprawling UN refugee camps where people line up for desperately needed rations of food and water. But a team of journalists and filmmakers have taken the visuals of this crisis even further. They've produced a virtual reality documentary about South Sudan's brutal civil war, and the widespread famine that shadows it.
 
Virtual reality (VR) may be one of the most effective peacetech tools of the future. VR enables people from across the globe to immerse themselves in various situations, providing an emotional, complex sensory experience. By allowing people to experience conflicts in this way, like the ongoing civil war in South Sudan, the international community and decision makers may have a more empathetic understanding of the true effects of war and conflict. 
 
VR is being used as a tool to understand other conflict zones as well. For example, Clouds Over Sidra follows a young girl that fled her home in Syria and is living in a refugee camp. These virtual reality films each show the potential for real world change. VR takes the very reliable peacebuilding technique of storytelling but merges it with a new powerful new technology medium, which may have the ability to mobilize the international community towards conflict prevention and reduction.

Commentary by ​Christine Traylor | Operations Manager | PeaceTech Lab

PeaceTech News Roundup

This week's compilation of the most important news stories highlighting the role of technology, media, and data in conflict zones. 
How New York’s top advertisers are fighting terrorist propaganda
Kaveh Waddell I The Atlantic I March 15, 2016

The advertisers approached the question of how to counter violent extremism in the same way they would tackle a high-profile client’s project: with extensive research to determine a target audience, their motivations, how to reach them, and how best to change their minds.
Why tweeting is safe
Tara Sonenshine I The Huffington Post I March 15, 2016

Social media and information technology are taking up vital positions in the tool box of preventive actions and post-crisis response approaches in all kinds of events, domestically, and overseas.
Syrian refugees share their stories and struggles in #IamSyrian campaign
Katie Dupere I Mashable I March 15, 2016

The campaign, launched by the World Food Programme at the London Syria conference in February, encourages social media users to use the hashtag #IamSyrian to draw attention to the stories and struggles of those who have been living through war.
Twitter denies providing ISIS with 'material support' before Jordanian terrorist killed five
Jeff Stone I International Business Times I March 14, 2016

Twitter has been outspoken in its opposition to terrorists’ using the microblogging service as a means of recruitment and propaganda. The company said last month it had suspended 125,000 accounts since mid-2015 and had increased the number of employees responsible for monitoring and suspending accounts.
Text messaging may solve one major problem in the refugee crisis
Willa Frej I The Huffington Post I March 14, 2016

Some 100 technology developers, business experts and social entrepreneurs assembled in Paris this past weekend to come up with tech-based tools that could help integrate refugees into French society. The winning project: "Textfugees," which tackles the issue of refugees' lack of Internet access. It was created by seven young entrepreneurs and developers. 
Bringing life-saving tech to conflict zones
Antonio Pasolini I Gizmag I March 11, 2016

A new partnership recently launched in Lausanne, Switzerland, will leverage the possibilities of new technologies so aid agencies can provide solutions where they are needed most. The project's four main components include spotting needs and challenges to be solved with technology, a follow-up to ensure real-life success, encouraging entrepreneurial spirit so technologies can be scaled up to a feasible business model, and financial support for R&D efforts.
 
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The Lab's Roundup highlighting stories on technology, media, and data in peacebuilding.
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PeaceTech In Action

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FrontlineSMS: Mobile tech meets peacebuilding

 

FrontlineSMS is a desktop and cloud-based mobile technology company that lets users easily send, receive and manage SMS messages from anywhere in the world. It has been harnessed by international organizations to reach vulnerable communities and empower women, youth, and other underprivileged groups with the ability to communicate with each other without the need for an internet connection. FrontlineSMS has been used by international organizers and nonprofits on issues including election monitoring, climate change activism, rape crisis center management, and local legal service provision.

FrontlineSMS was launched in 2005 as a free, web-based service for individuals and organizations to manage mobile communication. The platform has been downloaded over 200,000 times and is used by companies and organizations across the globe.
PeaceTech Lab  and Free Voice South Sudan, use Frontline SMS as an audience interaction tool to support the media program Sawa Shabab, a youth-oriented peacebuilding radio show focused on lives of young people in South Sudan. The platform is used to collect SMS responses to questions asked during the radio show. This allows youth across the country, even in remote, rural areas, to engage with complex issues related to the conflict such as gender equity, national identity, and life skills.

PeaceTech Commentary

PeaceTech Lab staff provide analysis on an important trend in the news.

The woman who wants to change the world of news

Jason Abbruzzese I Mashable I March 21, 2016

News Deeply is best understood as a media operation that works in the mold of a disaster relief organization. It is a B corporation, a for-profit company that also works toward having a positive impact on the world as part of its mission.
News Deeply is changing how the world understands the challenges of today, eschewing the traditional 8-second soundbite in favor of fuller coverage that allows for complexity in reporting. But as valuable as this in-depth coverage is, News Deeply is not immune to a challenge endemic to peacetech: scale.
 
To respond to the growing number of global challenges that require this type of coverage (they’ve held “Deeplys” on everything from climate change to Ebola and are now looking to the Syrian refugee crisis), and to match the expanded capacity to launch Deeplys gained through the Matter media accelerator program, News Deeply will need to connect the information to the story in a quicker manner, reducing the time and staff required for in-depth research. To sum it up, they will need more, better and faster.
 
The Lab’s Open Situation Room Exchange (OSRx), an online repository for peacebuilding data and analytics, can be a resource in this regard. Intended to help peacebuilders connect all the necessary data in a manner that allows for timely action, and to transform the way data is applied to peacebuilding objectives, the OSRx can do the same for Deeplys that cover conflict-related subjects. The OSRx was designed to help efforts like News Deeply address head-on the challenge of scale.
 
Commentary by Hanne Dalmut | Senior Specialist | PeaceTech Lab

PeaceTech News Roundup

This week's compilation of the most important news stories highlighting the role of technology, media, and data in conflict zones. 
Colum Lynch I Foreign Policy I March 23, 2016

There is often a great deal of optimism about the prospects for new tools — including social media and crowdsourcing — to solve problems in conflict zones. But the reality on the ground looks nothing like Silicon Valley.
FBI adds Syrian Electronic Army hackers to most wanted list
James Temperton I WIRED I March 23, 2016

Three members of the pro-Assad Syrian Electronic Army (SEA) have been added to the FBI's cyber most wanted list. The SEA is thought to be responsible for hacking the Associated Press Twitter account, which was used to claim the White House had been bombed.
Karim the AI delivers psychological support to Syrian refugees
Olivia Solon I The Guardian I March 22, 2016

More than 1 million Syrians have fled to Lebanon since the start of the conflict and as many as one-fifth of them may be suffering from mental health disorders. Hoping to support the efforts of overworked psychologists in the region, X2AI has created an artificially intelligent chatbot called Karim that can have personalised text message conversations in Arabic to help people with their emotional problems.
ISIS sympathizers post encryption advice for Belgium terrorists
Kevin Collier and Gilad Shiloach I Vocativ I March 22, 2016

A pro-ISIS Telegram channel known for providing technical advice directed at the terrorist organization has advised fellow terrorist sympathizers to keep a low online profile and to encrypt their activity in the wake of the attacks in Brussels, Belgium. A public channel on Telegram has issued a call, to “all our brothers in Belgium” to “Stay away from using Internet unless you are using encryption Software.”
Twitter's role in modern warfare
BBC I March 21, 2016

Modern conflicts are no longer about warring states and control over territory, but more about identity, control of the population and the political decision-making process, argues military researcher Thomas Elkjer Nissen. This makes Twitter ripe for exploitation in any conflict.

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The Lab's Roundup highlighting stories on technology, media, and data in peacebuilding.
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PeaceTech In Action

Stories of peacebuilders using technology, media, and data in the field. 


TechChange

TechChange is a social change technology company dedicated to training peacebuilding and development practitioners through online programs and courses to more effectively advance their projects efforts. TechChange supports the work of public health professionals, emergency responders, peacebuilders, and development industry professionals by connecting them to educational resources and certifications through its online learning platform. These programs have been offered to international NGOs, the World Bank, United Nations agencies, and other organizations on a range of subjects from using technology for monitoring and evaluation to humanitarian crisis response and data visualization.

One of TechChange's most impactful projects has been its partnership with the U.K. based nonprofit, Malaria Consortium. Through this partnership, TechChange had produced a six-hour digital training for over 3,000 pharmacists and technicians in Uganda and Nigeria about the diagnosis and treatment of Malaria. Based on training materials from Malaria Consortium and its partners, the World Health Organization and the Foundation for Innovative New Diagnostics, TechChange created online lessons featuring short animations, videos, and graphics describing everything from causes of malaria to proper treatment. This digital training was combined with hands-on training from Malaria Consortium. In areas where the internet is less accessible, the digital training was offered on USB drives along with computer literacy training. This project has dramatically changed the way Malaria Consortium, and organizations like it, design their international development efforts.

PeaceTech Commentary

PeaceTech Lab staff provide analysis on an important trend in the news.

As social media mourns Lahore blast victims, some criticize Western bias

Brandon Conradis I DW I March 29, 2016
 
The terrorist attack in Pakistan has sparked anger on social media – not all of it aimed at the attackers. For many, the relative lack of attention paid on Twitter and Facebook illustrates Western double standards.
​As this article points out, the stark divide between global responses to violent attacks in Western versus non-Western countries has increasingly sparked anger in social media about what is seen as a double standard in the value for human lives. The tragic attacks this past week in Brussels and Lahore have brought this issue to the forefront in social media, and raises an important question: who is to blame for the priority placed on attacks in Western countries – mainstream news, social media companies, or the public at large?
 
For the PeaceTech Lab, both of these attacks hit close to home. We had colleagues in both Brussels and Lahore at the time of the attacks. On both of these days, we were struck by the tragedy of these events and reminded of the importance of these efforts to support the organizations and individuals working to address the drivers of violent extremism in their communities. 
 
Social media is now recognized as a driving force for information and communication particularly in the wake of major events. By driving the conversation in these channels, ordinary citizens around the world are now capable of influencing media outlets and social media companies alike in the priority they place on some events over others, as seen even in the activation of the Facebook Safety Alert for Lahore. It is also important to recognize that in spite of these attacks, there are many courageous and creative individuals continuing to work to counter the trends that enable and drive this violence. As we urge one another and the media to recognize the value of all human lives in the wake of violent attacks, perhaps we can also work to amplify the voices for peace in Brussels, in Lahore, and in our own communities.
 
Commentary by Giselle Lopez | Specialist | PeaceTech Lab

PeaceTech News Roundup

This week's compilation of the most important news stories highlighting the role of technology, media, and data in conflict zones. 
How one non-profit startup is helping underprivileged Afghani women with Bitcoin
Jonathan Chester I Forbes I March 30, 2016

Code To Inspire (CTI) aims to hitch women’s economic and social advancement on to Afghanistan’s growing tech industry. Courses in coding, access to tech and professional resources in a safe and secure educational environment, and job placement will enable CTI students to attain employment that is both financially rewarding and socially accessible.
It’d be great to kick ISIS offline—if it were possible
Klint Finley I WIRED I March 30, 2016

Kicking ISIS off the Internet is far more complicated than simply flipping a switch. Even if that were possible, cutting off ISIS’ access could, as in all things related to warfare, inflict collateral damage. 
Iran’s ‘national internet’ offers connectivity at the cost of censorship
Corin Faife I Vice I March 29, 2016

Iran's plan to isolate and monitor all internet services within the country will place huge limitations on Iranians' ability to safely express themselves online, according to a report published by freedom of expression campaign group. 
If all else fails, 3D models and robots might rebuild Palmyra
Stephen Farrell I New York Times I March 28, 2016

Cultural organizations have been working to create precise three-dimensional digital models of the threatened heritage monuments in Palmyra, Syria, in case the originals are damaged beyond repair. Robots are using the models to carve a 20-foot-high scale reproduction of one of Palmyra’s most famous ancient monuments: a Roman triumphal arch.
Facebook apologises for sending Lahore bomb 'safety check' to users around the world
Elle Hunt I The Gaurdian I March 27, 2016

Facebook has apologised for pushing its safety check feature to users worldwide in the wake of the suicide bombing in Pakistan. After the deadly attack in Lahore on Sunday, Facebook users nowhere near the Pakistani city were mistakenly asked if they were safe.

Channels TV, PeaceTech Lab to develop Hausa TV initiative to foster peace
Channels TV I March 26, 2016

Channels Television and the PeaceTech Lab of the U.S. Institute of Peace have signed an agreement to pursue joint initiatives using media in combination with data and technology to foster long-term peace and prosperity in northern Nigeria and the surrounding region.

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PeaceTech In Action

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Rumie: Educating global youth in conflict zones

The Rumie Initiative is a non-profit organization which promotes education through peacetech strategies by putting electronic resources in the hands of underprivileged children in developing countries. Rumie distributes these free tablets which are preloaded with K-12 textbooks, interactive lessons and other instructive tools to areas where access to education is either limited or non-existent. The organization has successfully reached 20,000 people in 13 different countries in three years.

In 2015 the organization launched Rumie LearnCloud an open repository and crowdsourcing platform for free learning content. LearnCloud is supported by skilled professionals and teachers from around the world who curate, organize and rate free digital educational content from the internet and communicate with each other. This material is then loaded onto Rumie tablets. Most recently, the organization launched a campaign called #LearnSyria which equips young people in Syrian refugee camps with access to educational materials. The LearnCloud platform and offline Rumie Tablets aim to disrupt a digital divide and deliver education in an innovative, cost-effective and scalable way.

PeaceTech Commentary

PeaceTech Lab staff provide analysis on an important trend in the news.

The perils of Burma’s internet craze

Hanna Hindstrom I Foreign Policy I April 1, 2016
 
Burma has witnessed the rapid ascent of a vicious vigilante hacker movement that targets independent media outlets and other websites, especially those that criticize the military or spotlight anti-Muslim hate crimes. More worrying still is that this movement has been able to operate with complete impunity despite the much-vaunted democratic transition.
The above article is a stark reminder that threats to a free press - a requisite for stable, free, and peaceful societies - occur in the digital as well as physical space. A recent report on digital safety for journalists by the UNESCO highlights that “surveillance, data storage capabilities and digital attack technologies are becoming less expensive and more pervasive“, but that the journalists and media organizations who are often the targets of digital security attacks face a variety of challenges in defending themselves.

These challenges range from the proliferation of too complicated security tools, to unsystematic training programs for journalists in media organizations, to an impossible choice between over-expensive commercial security systems or under-resourced open source alternatives. If those who want to exercise free speech in Myanmar - whether they be journalists, activists, politicians or ordinary citizens - are prevented from doing so by fear of a cyber threat, then they will be hampered just as if they were facing a threat in the physical world.
 
Commentary by Derek Caelin | Specialist | PeaceTech Lab

PeaceTech News Roundup

This week's compilation of the most important news stories highlighting the role of technology, media, and data in conflict zones. 
China censors mentions of ‘Panama Papers’ leaks
Michael Forsyth and  Austin Ramzy I New York Times I April 5, 2016

Searches using the Chinese characters for “Panama” early on Tuesday on Weibo, China’s equivalent to Twitter, turned up information on regulations for importing fruit, including some from Panama. But by the afternoon in Beijing, queries resulted in the following terse message: “Sorry, searches for ‘Panama’ came up with no relevant results.”
Taliban app removed from Google Play Store
Alex Hern I The Guardian I April 4, 2016

An app developed by the Taliban has been removed from the Google Play store, two days after the app’s launch was reported in English-language media. 
One woman’s battle to heal her home city of Homs
Rachel Cooke I The Gaurdian I April 3, 2016

Sabouni carefully outlines her fierce attitude to the crucial role architecture will play in the future of Syria, should the peace hold, in her extraordinary memoir, The Battle for Home, which will be published here this month.
Egypt blocked Facebook Internet service over surveillance - sources
Yasmeen Abutaleb and Joseph Menn I Reuters I April 1, 2016

Egypt blocked Facebook Free Basics Internet service at the end of last year after the U.S. company refused to give the Egyptian government the ability to spy on users
The online fight against ISIS
Colin P. Clarke and  Isaac R. Porche III I Project Syndicate I April 1, 2016

Perhaps most troubling from an operational perspective is the possibility that ISIS could use the dark web to coordinate with operatives to plan and plot a major attack in Europe or the US. Terrorists are always seeking to stay one step ahead of law enforcement and intelligence services; so ISIS can be expected to seek software that encrypts a user’s IP address and routes Internet traffic through a series of anonymized servers.
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PeaceTech In Action

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Harnessing mobile technology for global development

Souktel is an SMS social enterprise that partners with leading international development organizations and networks to develop mobile technology products for a variety of sectors, including disaster response and peacebuilding. Souktel was founded at the Harvard Graduate School of Education and is led by young professionals with education experience. One of its most robust initiatives is designed to support mobile technology for youth and education. Souktel offers strategic advising and digital services to international development organizations as a way of empowering youth and enhancing educational programs.

Souktel’s “by youth, for youth” solutions equip youth in conflict-affected areas with valuable capabilities and tools, including enabling youth councils to run polls and organize community activities. The organization developed a mobile communication mechanism for families in Gaza whose children were participants in the World Vision program Atfaluna Amaluna (Arabic for “Our Children, Our Hope”). This program provided youth suffering from psychological and social distress with psychosocial support through life skills education, academic tutoring, field trips, and after-school activities in safe spaces. Nearly 7,500 SMS alerts were sent to keep families up to date on the program and their children’s activities in the volatile region. Souktel provides these platforms and trainings for clients in over 20 countries, including organizations involved in critical service provision in conflict zones.

PeaceTech Commentary

PeaceTech Lab staff provide analysis on an important trend in the news.

The power of satellites in humanitarian work

Lou Del Bello I Sci Dev Net I April 11, 2016

"Being able to capture multiple images of the same area at regular intervals allows analysts to learn how people interact with the available infrastructure and identify early signs of unrest." 
The power of satellites in humanitarian work has been growing by leaps and bounds since the Haiti Earthquake. The mapping of Port Au Prince by OpenStreetMap volunteers around the globe, who used pre and post-event high-resolution satellite imagery provided virtually gratis by Digital Globe and GeoEye showed the power of satellite imagery in addressing real-time humanitarian disasters. Since Haiti, the humanitarian community has continued to evolve both in the formalization of volunteers in the humanitarian process via the Digital Humanitarian Network, and through the experimentation of new ways to integrate satellite imagery into improving the response.

New innovations include applying drones in the humanitarian space for development of high-res imagery. By connecting location with real-time data, the humanitarian community can quickly identify best options of disaster risk reduction prior to a recurring disaster occurring (in potential flood areas or earthquake zones, for instance), and also map out the greatest areas of need during a humanitarian crisis.
Commentary by Noel Dickover | Director, PeaceTech Data Networks | PeaceTech Lab

PeaceTech News Roundup

This week's compilation of the most important news stories highlighting the role of technology, media, and data in conflict zones. 
Isis Twitter activity declines by 40% after crackdown - but the battle continues
Doug Bolton I Independent I April 14, 2016

According to a statement issued by Twitter in February, more than 125,000 separate terror-related accounts had been shut down since the middle of 2015, mostly by a beefed-up team of moderation specialists the company has established at its bases in the US and Ireland.
US takes cyber warfare mainstream
Roula Khalaf I Financial Times I April 13, 2016

No one, Moscow included, will argue against a cyber attack on Isis. And the offensive is unlikely to be particularly sophisticated — it probably involves jamming networks and disrupting the terrorist group’s communications. 
How a fact-checker aims to advance Northern Ireland's peace process
Sam Berkhead I IJNET I April 13, 2016

FactCheckNI's focuses on four topics: peace, crime, the economy and Europe. To build trust with readers, FactCheckNI shows when its fact-checkers make a correction on a piece. All corrections are marked with a red triangle at the top of the fact check, and readers can click this triangle to access the original version.
China says tech firms pledge to counter online terror activities
Reuters I April 12, 2016

Twenty-five Chinese technology companies have signed a pledge to counter images and information online that promote terrorism, the internet regulator said on Tuesday, months after China passed a controversial new anti-terrorism law. 

Surveillance is 'essential' when terror fills the web with noise
David Omand I Wired I April 11, 2016

Trends that the security authorities need to watch out for include the increasing availability of sophisticated cyber exploits from criminal sources on the dark net, and the commoditisation of botnet attack networks for rent, reducing the level of expertise and investment on the part of the terrorist organisation. 

Isis tried to launch a social media propaganda 'attack' and it was a shambles
Jason Murdock I International Business Times I April 8, 2016

Online propagandists affiliated with the Islamic State (Isis) terror group have attempted to launch a series of social media-based attacks targeting Facebook and Twitter. However, despite their best efforts, no-one seemed to notice. 
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SMEX: Training media advocates for MENA peace

Social Media Exchange (SMEX) is a Lebanese nonprofit media advocacy and development organization that conducts research and training to promote the strategic use of new media for civic participation and advocacy in the Arab World. Its programs seek to support peacebuilding campaigns across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) focused on democratization and equitable governance.

SMEX has trained over 2,000 participants through online and in-person trainings and has engaged audiences across the MENA region through advocacy campaigns. One of its most recent campaigns, Taakad, which means “to verify” in Arabic, encouraged citizen journalists and traditional media outlets to verify online reporting content. The campaign provided open lessons on content verification for journalists, readers, and viewers with a collaborative fact-checking platform and modeled how questionable news reporting should be evaluated.

PeaceTech Commentary

PeaceTech Lab staff provide analysis on an important trend in the news.

Remaking social media for the next revolution

Zeynep Tufekci and David Talbot I MIT Technology Review I April 16, 2016
 
There is no doubt that the Internet actually helps facilitate communication and shows the power of crowdsourcing in positive action, especially when it comes to the humanitarian activities like when there is a hurricane or a terrorist attack. The problem is, however, that the negatives are obvious and not talked about enough.
This M.I.T Review interview with Wael Ghonim, one of the tech-savvy activists leading the campaign that toppled the Mubarak regime in Egypt, is a must-read for anyone trying to make sense of the internet’s role in social change movements. Interestingly enough, his heart-felt and candid reflections on where the Internet was helpful and harmful as an organizing platform were also confirmed by the research presented by the Blogs and Bullets team and the PeaceTech Lab recently. In an event titled: “After the Dust Settles: Social Media in Political Transitions, Marc Lynch, Sean Aday, and Deen Freelon” offered compelling evidence – using data from 62 million tweets and 7 Facebook groups with more than a million followers -- about the internet’s shift from enabler to impediment in the Egyptian revolution.
 
So if the internet’s potential for both help and harm is clear, then so is the challenge: how can we greatly amplify its power for positive social change above the other? More and better studies like these are a great way to start. The internet is young, and so is our understanding of it.

Commentary by Sheldon Himelfarb | President and CEO | PeaceTech Lab

PeaceTech News Roundup

This week's compilation of the most important news stories highlighting the role of technology, media, and data in conflict zones. 
Google targets the ‘Fog of War’ in Syria
Seung Lee I Newsweek I April 20, 2016

Alphabet, the new moniker for Google’s umbrella of online services and research subsidiaries, wants to organize the chaos of content from the front lines to aid war correspondents and human rights experts following the Syrian civil war from afar.
Reporters under fire: Afghan TV station weathers constant Taliban threat
Nick Paton Walsh I CNN I April 20, 2016
 
For years, the media seemed to be allowed to exist outside the crosshairs of Afghanistan's war -- a refreshing and sadly uncommon situation in the conflict-wracked Middle East. Journalists could do work and not expect to be targeted. However, the TOLO bombing, along with a growing pattern of attacks by a thriving and ascendant insurgency competing with ISIS for the most radical recruits, has changed that. 
Profits of Peace
Benjamin Reeves I Worth I April 19, 2016

The massive amounts of data generated every day by smartphones and social media create the possibility that burgeoning problems, such as frustration with an authoritarian government, a growing stream of refugees or food and water shortages, can be spotted and addressed before they erupt into full-blown crises. Proponents of this approach, including Silicon Valley tech gurus, nongovernmental activists and employees of the United States Department of Defense, call it PeaceTech. 
Roman arch destroyed by ISIS in Syria was recreated using 3D technology
Alessandra Potenza I The Vergue I April 19, 2016

A replica of a 2,000-year-old Roman arch razed by ISIS in Syria last year was unveiled today in Trafalgar Square in London.The two-thirds scale model was made by the Institute for Digital Archaeology (IDA) using 3D computer models based on photographs of the original triumphal arch; the photos were taken by archaeologists and tourists before the city of Palmyra, where the arch stood, was captured by ISIS last May.

UN uses Virtual Reality to raise awareness and money
John Gaudiosi I Fortune I April 18, 2016

The United Nations has embraced virtual reality as a new way to raise awareness about the plights of human beings around the world. UN senior adviser Gabo Arora, who created the three films with Vrse.works, says he previously explored these types of stories through conventional video. But virtual reality adds another level of immersion to the storytelling.
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NDITech

NDITech, an initiative of the National Democratic Institute, provides technical assistance to political parties, legislatures, civic groups, and individuals in more than 70 countries through DemTools, a suite of open-source software including constituent relationship management and data tracking applications. One of these applications, DKAN, is a data warehousing platform that lets governments and civic groups aggregate and publish open data while bringing it to life through maps, graphs and sophisticated visualizations.

Last year, NDI launched a global campaign to address violence against women in elections using DKAN to track and share critical data. As a part of this effort, NDI trained election observers to recognize and report violence against women. DKAN allows election observers to use a back-end database to collect and aggregate reports of violence prior to, during and after elections around the world. The data helps to create a picture of the changes in electoral violence against women over time. Visualizations and analysis are used to raise awareness about the pervasiveness of this type of violence in elections and to show how it prevents women from participating actively in public life. 

PeaceTech Commentary

PeaceTech Lab staff provide analysis on an important trend in the news.

All Indian mobile phones will soon have a panic button

Emily Reynolds I Wired I April 26, 2016
 

"All phones sold in India will be required to have a panic button from 2017 as part of a government attempt to improve safety for women. The panic button would work by pressing a designated button on a smartphone, or the keys for 5 or 9 on more basic phones, and will dial emergency services. Although India has no 999 or 911 equivalent, a centralised '112' number will be introduced in the next few months."

This article discusses a move by the Indian government to require all phones sold in India to have a panic button by 2017 and compulsory GPS by 2018. The impetus behind this move is admirable and vies to improve the safety of women. At ​PeaceTech Lab​, we have highlighted and supported a similar concept in the form of ​an app ​called Women Fight Back ​developed by teenage girls in Mumbai.

Critics of the effort argue that requiring GPS on phones will make the cost prohibitive for many Indian citizens. There are also concerns over the state’s ability to respond to the panic button. The latter concern, however, might be assuaged by the Indian government's decision to implement a national emergency number, 112. As for the cost of GPS enabled phones, that issue is stickier, but it is not unprecedented for the price of smartphone technology to decrease. 

Commentary by Kelly Victor-French | Specialist | PeaceTech Lab

PeaceTech News Roundup

This week's compilation of the most important news stories highlighting the role of technology, media, and data in conflict zones. 
Iraq bans Al Jazeera journalists for 'instigating violence and sectarianism'
Middle East Eye I April 28, 2016

Iraq has banned Al Jazeera journalists from the country and closed the channel's Baghdad office, accusing Qatar's state-funded TV network of inciting violence and sectarianism. The country's communications and media commission this week told the network that its licence to operate would be revoked for one year.
With Facebook no longer a secret weapon, Egypt’s protesters turn to Signal
Robert Mackey I The Intercept I April 26, 2016

The fact that Facebook is now so closely monitored by the security forces prompted one leading activist to offer an online tutorial in how to use a new tool, the encrypted messaging app Signal, to help protesters find each other on the city’s streets, and stay one step ahead of the authorities.
Iranian court sentences 4 journalists to long prison terms
Thomas Erdbrink I The New York Times I April 26, 2016

An Iranian revolutionary court handed down long prison terms on Tuesday to four journalists supportive of the government of President Hassan Rouhani, Iranian news media reported. All were convicted on charges of having acted against national security. All of the journalists worked for reformist newspapers. 
Bangladesh LGBT editor hacked to death
BBC I April 25, 2016

Bangladesh police say a top gay rights activist and editor at the country's only LGBT magazine is one of two people who have been hacked to death. The US ambassador to Bangladesh condemned the killing of Xulhaz Mannan, who also worked at the US embassy.

U.S. Cyberattacks Target ISIS in a New Line of Combat
David E. Sanger I The New York Times I April 24, 2016

Kicking ISIS off the Internet is far more complicated than simply flipping a switch. Even if that were possible, cutting off ISIS’ access could, as in all things related to warfare, inflict collateral damage. If the US and its allies sever ISIS’s Internet connections, they run the risk of denying civilians a vital lifeline to the world.
These are the biggest business risks today
Peter Zaffino I Fortune I April 21, 2016

In the 11th edition of the Global Risks Report produced by the World Economic Forum, CEOs of multinational corporations were asked to identify the top five global risks of highest concern for the next 18 months. The five most frequently cited issues have direct ties to geopolitical instability: large-scale involuntary migration, state collapse or crisis, interstate conflict, unemployment or underemployment, and failure of national governance.
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SIMLab: Using mobile tech for economic innovation

Social Impact Lab (SIMLab) helps people and organizations use inclusive technologies to build systems and services that are accessible, responsive, and resilient. In Kenya, where technology barriers prevent rural, poor, and marginalized populations from accessing resources that could facilitate economic development—from starting their own businesses, accessing markets, insuring their crops, and planning for their future, SIMLab set out to explore whether developing a mobile platform could help organizations implement mobile money, and in so doing, improve economic livelihoods in rural Kenya.

SIMLab’s Last Mile Mobile Money Project helped small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and under-resourced organizations in Kenya explore available tools to realize the latent potential in mobile value transfer technologies for social change. SIMLab helped partners break down barriers to innovation through business process consulting and trainings on how to engage with and educate end-users to begin using mobile money technologies. Through this project, SIMLab has been able to help organizations realize the uses and limitations of inclusive technologies and mobile money, while better understanding the types of organizational characteristics necessary in the implementation of digitization and cashless systems.

PeaceTech Commentary

PeaceTech Lab staff provide analysis on an important trend in the news.

WhatsApp, used by 100 million Brazilians, was shut down nationwide by a single judge

Glenn Greenwald and Andrew Fishman I The Intercept I May 2, 2016
 
"The extraordinary orders reflect what is becoming a global controversy over the fight of technology companies to offer their users “end-to-end” encryption. That service, which has become quite in demand in the wake of reporting from the archive provided by Edward Snowden, ensures that only the users — but not the company itself — can access the content they are sharing."
Brazil’s 100 million WhatsApp users saw what one day without the popular messaging service does to their ability to communicate with a secure platform in real-time. Fortunately, the Brazilian court system overturned a 72-hour mandated blackout period. Yet, the WhatsApp case in Brazil may reverberate in other places, where the rapid evolution of technology forces decisions about individual privacy.

What does free expression and the free flow of information in conflict zones look like? Nearly a billion people around the world use WhatsApp, many of those in communities affected by conflict who represent the people we serve at PeaceTech Lab. We know that products like WhatsApp support journalists and activists working on conflict issues every day.

We see hopeful signs, too. On the same day that the courts in Brazil were ruling to overturn the order to block WhatsApp, on World Press Freedom Day, the Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani named a prominent human rights activist as his ambassador to protect free speech. It’s a step in the right direction.
Commentary by Nancy Payne | Vice President | PeaceTech Lab

PeaceTech News Roundup

This week's compilation of the most important news stories highlighting the role of technology, media, and data in conflict zones. 
Claudia Cahalane I The Guardian I May 5, 2016

The creators of an app used in western countries to support those worried about domestic violence hope to help Somali women be safer in their communities. The app, My Plan, takes women who are worried about abuse through a series of questions about their circumstances. It determines their levels of safety and offers courses of action, as well as live connection to local services and support.

Sam Magdy I Associated Press I May 4, 2016

Hundreds of Egyptian journalists rallied in Cairo on Wednesday in an escalating standoff with police, saying the media would go on strike next week if demands including the dismissal of the interior minister are not met. On the steps outside their union headquarters, they chanted "Journalism is not a crime" while demanding Interior Minister Magdy Abdel-Ghaffar's departure following a police raid on the premises and the arrest of two journalists.

How Britain funds the 'propaganda war' against Isis in Syria
Ian Cobain, Alice Ross, Rob Evans and Mona Mahmood I The Guardian I May 3, 2016

The British government is waging information warfare in Syria by funding media operations for some rebel fighting groups, in the foreign front of what David Cameron has called “the propaganda war” against Islamic State. The campaign aims to boost the reputation of what the government calls the “moderate armed opposition”, a complex and shifting alliance of armed factions.

Thousands are sharing this slain Indian soldier's daughter's message for peace
Sonam Joshi I Mashable I May 2, 2016

The daughter of an Indian soldier has sent out an important message about overcoming hatred and asking for peace. In a powerful video, Gurmehar Kaur asks for an end to war, state-sponsored terrorism and spying. Using a series of placards, Kaur recalls losing her father in the 1999 Kargil War between India and Pakistan, when she was just two.

ISIS technicians 'planning Google-style driverless cars for use in devastating bomb attacks'
Ben Russell l Mirror I May 1, 2016

Twisted ISIS fanatics are developing a driverless car that could be used to carry out bomb attacks, a Nato expert has warned. ISIS terror boffins in the groups HQ of Raqqa in Syria are believing to be working on a similar type of vehicle to those being produced by Google.
 

Global social media campaign launched after Aleppo left out of Syrian truce
Carmen Cracknell I International Business Times I April 30, 2016

Activists have taken to social media to highlight the plight of civilians trapped amid fighting in the Syrian city of Aleppo. Over two thousand people so far have expressed support for a 'Worldwide Red Protest' against the Syrian regime's murder of civilians, rescue workers and doctors in airstrikes. 
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Aliim: Mobile tech meets education

Aliim is a non-profit organization that leverages technology and mentorship to provide access to safe, relevant educational opportunities for refugees and marginalized youth affected by conflict. Aliim’s Smartphone Schools Program is the first mobile learning program that aims to empower Syrian refugee girls aged 12-16 to continue their education and access better economic opportunities through technology and a global network of mentors.

This program emphasizes conflict resilience and life skills, including basic literacy, numeracy, English language, and entrepreneurial skills. It also enables students to collaborate with others and integrate mentor feedback into their work online. These foundational skills prepare students to re-enter formal education, participate in the economy, and integrate into local host-communities. By integrating mobile technology with educational resources Aliim is addressing a critical component of the peacebuilding process in conflict areas.

PeaceTech Commentary

PeaceTech Lab staff provide analysis on an important trend in the news.

Afghanistan is losing its local press corps as journalists flee the country

 Antonio Olivo I The Washington Post I May 7, 2016
 
Among the many battles being waged in Afghanistan, the fight for a strong local press corps is losing soldiers by the dozens. During the past 10 months, about 300 Afghan journalists have fled the country for safer ground, many of them to Europe, according to a new survey released by Nai, a group in Kabul that promotes an independent news media in the country.
This article is yet another stark reminder of the risks journalists face in conflict zones around the world. In Afghanistan, journalists are increasingly feeling threatened by the Taliban and even government officials. As a result, hundreds have fled for safer locations like Europe over the past 10 months. This mass exodus undermines a strong Afghan media environment and independent reporting coming from the country.

There has never been a more critical time to apply data and technology tools to empower journalists to analyze threats and to take action to protect themselves. Data-driven websites like Nai's Violence Against Journalists in Afghanistan and the journalist safety application Salama, co-created by International Center for Journalists (ICFJ) and PeaceTech Lab, are examples of tools that provide new capabilities to help journalists assess threat levels, anticipate problems and devise security plans in areas of high risk.

Commentary by Tim Receveur | Director, PeaceTech Exchanges | PeaceTech Lab

PeaceTech News Roundup

This week's compilation of the most important news stories highlighting the role of technology, media, and data in conflict zones. 
Microsoft exec: No silver bullet to fight terror on internet
Michael Astor I Associated Press I May 11, 2016

Steven A. Crown, vice president and deputy general counsel of Microsoft, said technology companies, states and nongovernmental organizations must work together to "address terrorist use of the internet, including creation and use of counter-narratives," in a manner that respects privacy and free speech.

ISIS releases mobile app to teach child recruits Arabic
Jack Moore I Newsweek I May 11, 2016

The Islamic State militant group (ISIS) has reportedly launched an Android app that teaches children the basics of the Arabic language. The app, entitled Huroof, or alphabet, is targeted at children and helps them to learn the Arabic alphabet and words such as “gun,” “bullet,” and “rocket.” 
Documenting Sudan's forgotten civil war: Adriane Ohanesian wins Niedringhaus Award
Courtney Tenz I DW  I May 10, 2016

Photojournalist Adriane Ohanesian was recognized with the 2016 Anja Niedringhaus Courage in Photojournalism Award for her body of work, a large portion of which focuses on capturing scenes from the region around Sudan and Darfur. 
In Syria's rebel areas, journalists complain of new censorship
Maher Saman and Ayman Mohammad I UPI I May 9, 2016

Journalists in areas held by a wide variety of opposition and rebel groups – ranging from national and Islamic opposition factions, including ethnic Kurdish groups and Islamist groups such as the al-Qaida-affiliated al-Nusra Front and the Islamic State – say they experience varying degrees of interference, and sometimes violent intimidation.
U.S. forces’ role in Yemen and in Afghanistan; no Twitter data for intel agencies
Karoun Demirjian I The Washington Post I May 9, 2016

Twitter has blocked intelligence agencies from having access to an analytic service that lets agencies sift through social media postings, in what appears to be the latest marker in the ongoing tug-of-war between the tech community and the government for where the balance between intelligence-gathering and privacy lies.
Dateline North Korea, but Still Reporting From a Distance
Christine Hauser I The New York Times I May 6, 2016

Journalists from around the world were invited to North Korea to cover the ruling party’s first congress in 36 years on Friday. But while many were allowed to travel to Pyongyang, the capital of the reclusive country, they were then barred from the actual event. 

In battle for rights, Egypt's journalists face off with parliament
Walaa Hussein I Al-Monitor I May 6, 2016

Thousands of Egypt's journalists are calling for the interior minister to resign after ordering a May 1 raid on the Press Syndicate building in Cairo. At an emergency meeting of the union's general assembly May 4 — the day after World Press Freedom Day — syndicate members also demanded that parliament expedite legislation to protect freedom of expression. 

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Syrian Archive: Promoting human rights and accountability

The Syrian Archive is an initiative launched by human rights activists, lawyers, archivists, researchers, and technical professionals for the purpose of ending violence in Syria while advocating for human rights and accountability. Syrian Archive records open source documentation on human rights violations and violent crimes committed in Syria through an online platform. Syrian Archive is especially focused on supporting the work of investigators and historians involved in transitional justice and accountability efforts.

The Syrian Archive's website features a Violation Map and a Violation Database which document the use of chemical weapons in Syria based on video evidence recorded by citizen reporters and activists. Syrian Archive also maintains a video database of 1,561 videos documenting verified Russian attacks since September 30, 2015. These datasets include details including the geolocation of all attacks. The Syrian Archive seeks to identify the perpetrators of war crimes and human rights violations to support peacebuilding efforts and end the cycle of violence in the region.

PeaceTech Commentary

PeaceTech Lab staff provide analysis on an important trend in the news.

Three Russian editors resign amid threats to press freedom

Roy Greenslade I The Guardian I May 17, 2016
 
Three senior editors have resigned from Russian media group RBC in a further sign of pressure on independent journalism. RBC said that the resignations on 13 May of editor-in-chief Yelizaveta Osetinskaya and her colleagues - newspaper editor Maxim Solyus and news agency editor Roman Badanin - were due to “differences regarding the media company’s future”.
These resignations in the face of an increasingly limited freedom of press is a disappointing sign of a larger trend both in Russia and around the globe. Last month Reporters Without Borders (RSF) issued their annual World Press Freedom Index report, which showed a 13.6% drop in its media freedom indicator. This argue that the restraints and pressures journalists feel from governments and private sector interests are rising, as is violence against journalists.

A free and open press is an integral part of peace and stability. At their best reporters can expose the excesses of the powerful and give voice to the powerless. This creates a public discourse where conflict can be managed and resolved by means other than violence. As the freedom of the press narrows we lose its benefits and the world becomes a more dangerous place. 

Tools aimed at journalists like Salama, a risk assessment app, or Reporta, a personal safety app, can help us mitigate the effects of threats to freedom of the press by empowering reporters with better information and security.

Commentary by John Pope | Special Assistant to the President | PeaceTech Lab

PeaceTech News Roundup

This week's compilation of the most important news stories highlighting the role of technology, media, and data in conflict zones. 
Social media fame shields dissidents, until it doesn’t
Robert Mackey I The Intercepts I May 13, 2016

The first time I spoke with Zainab al-Khawaja, the Bahraini dissident explained that the popularity of her @angryarabiya Twitter feed — which she used to chart the violent suppression of Bahrain’s Arab Spring uprising that year — seemed to have given her a measure of protection. Two weeks later, whatever protection Khawaja’s social media fame might have earned her seemed to evaporate, as she was dragged away and punched on camera by police officers.

LinkedIn, Airbnb match refugees with jobs, disaster survivors with rooms
Magdalena Mis I Reuters I May 18, 2016

Early this year, LinkedIn launched "Welcome talent", a micro-site in English and Arabic that puts migrants to Sweden - which took in 163,000 asylum seekers in 2015 - in touch with local companies offering internships and jobs. 

Nigeria has finally killed its controversial anti-social media bill
Yomi Kazeem I Quarz I May 17, 2016

Officially named “an act to prohibit frivolous petitions; and other matters connected therewith”, the bill was positioned as an attempt to prevent Nigerians from maliciously discrediting public office holders and also prescribed jail terms and fines of up to $10,000 for offenders. 

Website photographer is latest journalist jailed in Egypt
Roy Greenslade I The Guardian I May 17, 2016

Week by week, the Egyptian authorities are jailing journalists. The latest to be sentenced is a photographer, Ali Abdeen, who works for the news website El-Fagr. He got two years, according to his outlet, for inciting illegal protests, obstructing traffic and that catch-all offence known as “publishing false news."

Iran arrests eight for 'un-Islamic' Instagram modelling
BBC I May 16, 2016

Iran has arrested eight people working for online modelling agencies deemed to be "un-Islamic", the prosecutor of Tehran's cybercrimes court has said. The arrests were announced by the court's prosecutor Javad Babaei during a state television programme broadcast late on Sunday that focused on the "threats to morality and the foundation of family" posed by social media.

How ISIS recruits online — using encryption, chat rooms and even dating sites
Daniel A. Gross I PRI I May13, 2016

When it comes to online recruitment efforts, experts say ISIS has breadth but not depth. “Because they’re on so many platforms, they’re not necessarily savvy ... about how these platforms work, and what the details are.” ISIS has had some success recruiting online, but it’s not clear that online tools have played a major role in terrorist attacks.
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Addis Ideas

Addis Ideas is a mobile-first web application that encourages African nationals and diaspora to identify problems and propose solutions to spark change in their communities. By crowdsourcing innovation from the continent, Addis Ideas’ goal is to enhance public participation in development and avoid repeating the mistakes of international agencies who often cite insufficient understanding of local African conditions as their main reason for not achieving success.

Described as "part Kickstarter, part Facebook," Addis Ideas' platform connects users to potential sponsors who can provide financial and structural support, while creating a collaborative workspace for Africans who want to improve their surroundings. Users submit project ideas to a live feed, where they receive public feedback and private sponsorship from the Addis Ideas online community. The application aims to incentivize innovative development solutions by offering features such as badges, leader boards, and reputation points. 

PeaceTech Commentary

PeaceTech Lab staff provide analysis on an important trend in the news.

Apple backs down in row over Palestinian game

Matt Kamen | WIRED UK | May 23, 2016
 
"Apple has reversed its position not to allow a game by Palestinian developer into the App store.The iPhone maker had previously said that 'Liyla and the Shadows of War' could not be categorised as a game because of its political nature. Conversely, Apple has allowed 'Israeli Heroes' – an Angry Birds-alike featuring cartoon missiles – to be categorised as a game since October 2013." 
Games offer a powerful vehicle to build empathy and share experiences, and are a new and interactive way to think through challenging politics. Liyla and the Shadows of War humanizes the Palestinian struggle, and breaks geographical constraints to build understanding. Apple's decision to reverse its stance should be lauded. By being free and accessible in the iTunes' games section, players all around the world can better understand the human tragedy that is war. 

The Lab recognizes the connection between gaming and peacebuilding. Game developers in this space -- like Games for Peace and Elva, for example -- are exploring ways to game-ify and incentivise positive social interaction and conflict management skills while also building a network of users who over time develop shared experiences and relationships. Games are capable of sharing messaging across new audiences. And, just as virtual reality has been heralded as the new frontier for peacebuilders, gaming offers a unique form of interaction. My personal view is that more games should be political in nature rather than fewer -- if people played Liyla instead of Candy Crush, the iPhone could list one more way in which it's a powerful force for peacebuilding. 

Commentary by Hanne Dalmut | Senior Specialist | PeaceTech Lab

PeaceTech News Roundup

This week's compilation of the most important news stories highlighting the role of technology, media, and data in conflict zones. 
How the Constant Threat of War Shaped Israel’s Tech Industry
Ashlee Vance I Bloomberg Businessweek I May 25, 2016

In Nazareth, Fadi Swidan has set up a tech accelerator, nazTech, to help young Arab engineers become part of Israel’s tech boom and help them bring cutting-edge technology to the Arab world. He’s trying to build links between Arab and Jewish engineers and investors—an effort that could have profound consequences in the years to come.
Afghan journalists face threats from Taliban, officials, and even family 
Scott Peterson I Christian Science Monitor I May 23, 2016

“Leave your job, or we will eliminate you.” As the news media have expanded in the 15 years since US forces ousted the Taliban, so too have the threats to journalists. They are now increasingly targeted by insurgents, competing ethnic groups, and – especially for women – by angry, conservative family members who want them off the air and at home.
Who needs censorship? Chinese government-backed users flood social media
Associated Press I LA Times I May 20, 2016

Harvard University political scientist Gary King studied a trove of government emails, spreadsheets and work reports from a propaganda office in central China leaked online in 2014, and concluded an estimated 488 million fake posts a year “enables the government to actively control opinion without having to censor as much as they might otherwise.” 
Profile: Walk the Walk, a graphic novel to help beat sectarianism
Nan Spowart I The National I May 24, 2016

A graphic novel aimed at educating young people about sectarianism has created a shift in their attitudes, according to a recent independent study.

Chicago turns to big data to predict gun and gang violence
Andrew Tarantola I engadget I May 23, 2016

The police aren't using this list to simply target individuals for arrest, the city also uses it to perform "custom notifications" in which social workers and community leaders meet with people who score high on the list and attempt to intervene, offering them a way out of gang life.
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Hala Systems, Inc.

Hala Systems, Inc. is an early-stage social enterprise focused on technology-driven solutions to conflict, crisis and natural disasters. Hala seeks to save lives and reduce trauma through the development and implementation of innovative technologies. Ultimately, Hala aims to transform the nature of civilian defense during warfare, as well as reduce casualties and trauma during post-conflict recovery, natural disasters, and other major crises.

Hala Systems is currently developing a new technology platform called Sentry, which is to be deployed in an austere environment and administered in close coordination with civil society. Sentry is designed to prevent casualties, reduce trauma, and increase resiliency for victims of large-scale violence. The program augments detection, communication, analysis, population notification, and preparedness in order to give citizens the time to take mitigating measures, and provide first responders the early notice they can use to save more lives. This indications and warning system will allow millions of people in conflict zones to resume their lives when they are not directly under attack.

PeaceTech Commentary

PeaceTech Lab staff provide analysis on an important trend in the news.

West Bank: Activists use Facebook to halt Israeli raids

Sheren Khalel | Al Jazeera | May 26, 2016

  Refugee camps in the West Bank are hotbeds of political activity, and Israeli forces rarely enter such neighbourhoods without a fight. "Social media is the way we organise," one of the young men who stands guard in Beit Jibrin camp, told Al Jazeera. "It's the safest way to stay anonymous and still stay connected, so we can be prepared to challenge the Israelis."

One of the major challenges for peacebuilding work writ large is actively pursuing and maintaining a path to bridge divides between communities in conflict, even in tense and extremely dangerous environments. For its part, PeaceTech Lab seeks to build capacity among the peacebuilding community – particularly groups working on the ground in conflict and post-conflict zones – in accessing and applying low-cost technologies to support their work. This often involves using new messaging platforms such as Facebook and WhatsApp, since an important component of these platforms is users’ ability to remain anonymous and avoid having their communications tracked by authorities. The creative use of these tools for early warning and response by those directly affected by conflict is continually changing based on the need to remain anonymous and share information quickly.  

In the case of Palestinians, these platforms have become powerful tools for resistance – both violent and nonviolent. Although it is important to highlight the use of these tools for resistance and early warning in a protracted conflict, it is also crucial to recognize the difference between such technologies being used to protect civilians and wage a nonviolent struggle versus as a “weapon” in armed resistance. While both are practical responses to threats faced by Palestinians, they are separate applications of technology with very different implications for long-term peace and security.
 
Commentary by Giselle Lopez | Specialist | PeaceTech Lab

PeaceTech News Roundup

This week's compilation of the most important news stories highlighting the role of technology, media, and data in conflict zones. 
Erasing Isis: how 3D technology now lets us copy and rebuild entire cities
Paul Clammer I The Guardian I May 27, 2016

The technology raises difficult questions. What does it mean to copy an ancient monument or building? Can a reproduction ever be as good as the original? Or is “authenticity” less important than symbolism to people who have survived death and destruction?

Reducing conflict and remembering those who died fighting
Dylan Ratigan I Huffington Post I May 30, 2016

Imagine if we harnessed modern technology to deploy relocatable, plug and play systems in conflict prone, resource scarce environments in America and abroad. We have the tools, the people, and the goodwill, but the problem of resource scarcity is all around us to continue driving conflict.
Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, and Microsoft sign EU hate speech code
Alex Hern I The Guardian I May 31, 2016

The code of conduct represents the first major attempt to codify how technology firms should respond to hate speech online. But the code is limited in scope, leaving many aspects of online abuse still uncovered. For instance, harassment on gender grounds is not considered hate speech according to the code of conduct.  
Hundreds of Arab, Israeli children building 'bridges to peace' through tech
Lidar Gravé-Lazi I Jerusalem Post I June 1, 2016

Bridges to Peace, a joint initiative of the Peres Center for Peace, Google and the ORT school network, aims to bridge gaps in Israeli society through technology. Using Google Hangouts, youth from different sectors of society engage in online conversations getting to know one another. 

Mapping how terrorists are destroying the world's cultural sites
Charlie Sorrel I Co.Exist I May 27, 2016

"Cultural crimes represent much more than the ‘destruction of property,’" Deborah Lehr, chairman of the Antiquities Coalition, says. To help keep track of the various attacks and visualize just how widespread they are, the Antiquities Coalition has built an interactive map, called the Incident Analyzer
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SafeCity

Safecity is a crowd-sourced platform that aggregates and maps reports of sexual harassment and abuse in public spaces in order to make cities safer by encouraging equal access to public spaces for everyone and especially women, through data and technology. This data is made accessible to local communities to help them identify factors that cause behavior leading to violence and to develop prevention strategies.

Safecity has received over 8,500 stories from over 50 cities in India, Nepal, and Kenya. These stories raise awareness about harassment and abuse, and encourage women and others to actively report on their personal experiences. Safecity also runs campaigns with local partners, encouraging communities to take ownership of what influences social and systemic change.

PeaceTech Commentary

PeaceTech Lab staff provide analysis on an important trend in the news.
Here’s how radical groups like Islamic State use social media to attract recruits
Sandy Schumann I The  Conversation I June 7, 2016
 
"Thanks to advancements in technology, it is now easier than ever to get involved in politics and civil society. It is not surprising that radical groups use popular social media to recruit supporters. In 2015 alone, IS published 1,000 videos, 15,000 photos, and 20 magazines online."
 

 
​Utopia. How can you top that? This is the question more moderate voices are pondering in the wake of seeing how violent extremist organizations use social media to attract new recruits. While recruitment usually starts with an in-person encounter, the process of radicalization, which can take up to 6 months to 2 years or more, involves consuming and interacting with relevant social media.​ And some of those messages are resonating.​ ​According to the Quilliam Foundation, the Islamic State’s social media posts can be grouped into 6 thematic areas: brutality, mercy, belonging, victimhood, war and utopia. While the western media primarily highlights posts dealing with brutality, this is a relatively small percentage of their total volume. The majority of social media ​messages focus on this notion of the caliphate as a utopian environment. The implications for using social media to impact the radicalization process are significant - simply positing an anti-violent counter-narrative misses the comprehensive nature of their recruitment approach. 
 
Commentary by Noel Dickover | Director, PeaceTech Data Networks | PeaceTech Lab

PeaceTech News Roundup

This week's compilation of the most important news stories highlighting the role of technology, media, and data in conflict zones. 
TalentSprint: Startup that aims to provide youth with dream careers
Pranjal Kshirsagar I Tech2 I June 2, 2016

Given the common problems with access to healthcare and the disparity in the distribution of health centers, several African countries are looking to mobile technology to bridge the gap. The process, broadly referred to as ‘telemedicine’, focuses on connecting health workers in small communities usually lacking in health equipment and capacity to experts in city health centers through mobile phones and, in some cases, the internet.

Hackathons bring open source innovation to humanitarian aid
Johan Linåker I Open Source I June 3, 2016

OpenHack is an OpenSource hackathon that focuses on contributing to humanity.This hackathon put people and organizations interested in software development and tech together with representatives and experts from aid organizations to create and test innovative ideas for humanitarian and development aid.
A Small Mobile App is Reshaping the Idea of Personal Safety
Cell 411 I PR Newswire I June 5, 2016

Cell 411 has become an overnight sensation in South Africa and has been downloaded by thousands of citizens who have been desperately looking for a way to establish a trusted way to receive help in case of emergencies. The app allows citizens to bypass calling police for help and instead build cells or groups of friends, neighbors and family members who can be instantly notified in case an emergency takes place.
The girls learning science in defiance of Boko Haram
Nosmot Gbadamosi I CNN I June 7, 2016

Stella Uzochukwu, a former electronics engineer, is doing something profound. She is teaching girls how to code in defiance of Boko Haram, whose brutal crusade against western-style education - among other things - has robbed children of education in northern Nigeria.
France launches smartphone app to alert people to terror attacks
Angelique Chrisafis I The Guardian I June 8, 2016

Two days before the Euro 2016 football tournament opens in France amid a high police and military presence, the French interior ministry unveiled its alert app called Saip (Système d’alerte et d’information des populations), which was developed after last November’s coordinated terrorist attacks across Paris killed 130 people.

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Re: Coded

Re:Coded creates innovative, socially minded leaders in conflict affected communities using technology and entrepreneurship as a catalyst. As part of this vision, Re:Coded has launched a world-class coding boot camp in partnership with Flatiron School, designed to equip 50 refugees in Iraq with the skills to think and build like a software engineer and work remotely for their private sector partners such as Microsoft. In doing so, Re:Coded is able to fill global skills gaps with untapped talent from refugee communities whilst also enabling refugees to earn a living wage and reduce their likelihood of being exploited, pressured into early marriage, susceptible to extremism, and in danger of becoming a lost generation. As participants work, they will continue to refine their skills, progress professionally through experiential on-the-job learning whilst also being less reliant on humanitarian aid, less marginalized, and more economically valuable to any host community in which they reside.

Later this year, Re:Coded will also launch an innovation lab and incubator to empower purpose driven refugee entrepreneurs to develop projects from idea to implementation and contribute to the long-term economic development of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. Re:Coded is being implemented by a team from the Center for Global Affairs (CGA) at New York University’s School of Professional Studies with support from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and their implementing partner, SPARK.

PeaceTech Commentary

PeaceTech Lab staff provide analysis on an important trend in the news.
​Thousands of migrants are dying at sea. This app uses satellite data to try and save them.
Katie Scott | Wired June 13, 2016
 
"A charity that's been saving refugees in trouble at sea has launched an app to monitor boats in distress. The I Sea Project lets anyone with a smartphone access satellite image of a specific “plot” of ocean and check it for migrants who may be in trouble." 
 

"If this app is what we are hoping it will be, it will be part of a growing wave of ideas that connect concerned people to those in distress, regardless of place or language."

This article features an app that uses satellite imagery and an image-scanning algorithm to locate and rescue migrant boats more efficiently than ever before. The back-end technology is interesting, but a crucial aspect of this app is how it leverages crowdsourcing, enabling people around the world to pitch in to help distressed migrants in new ways. Within a minute, someone with a smartphone can check a plot of sea and report it for possible rescue. 

In our work at the PeaceTech Lab, we see crowdmapping and geospatial technology connecting peacebuilders inside and outside of conflict zones. On such effort - the Geospatial Technologies Project of the American Association for the Advancement of Science - utilizes satellite imagery to understand the progression of past conflicts. The research from that project demonstrates that many details of conflict can be revealed from even old satellite imagery. We see a gap that a parallel app may fill: serving those caught in the midst of ongoing conflict and connecting them to people, services, or resources. The I Sea app may inspire more ideas to help save lives. 

Commentary by Kelly Victor-French | Specialist | PeaceTech Lab

PeaceTech News Roundup

This week's compilation of the most important news stories highlighting the role of technology, media, and data in conflict zones. 
Is now the moment the humanitarian data revolution begins?
Elizabeth Dickinson I Devex June 10, 2016

Patrick Meier has noticed a change in his conversations with humanitarians. Nowhere is this attitude shift more evident than in the use of data in the humanitarian sphere. From real-time crisis information, to donor funding, to intervention effectiveness, the quantity, quality, and breadth of numbers being gathered has mushroomed.

Media struggle with corruption
Rozina Islam I D+C I June 11, 2016

Corruption is ubiquitous in Bangladesh. Raising public awareness is one way to fight it. Media play an important watchdog role in this regard, but their freedom is often restricted. They are subject to political influence and business interests. Some journalists are physically threatened, and licenses get withdrawn.

Burundi turns to WhatsApp as political turmoil brings media blackout
Thierry Vircoulon I Guardian I June 14, 2016

Burundi’s year-long crisis has not gone away. For better or worse, social media has filled the vacuum left by the shutting down of the most popular radio stations and forcing out of many of the country’s professional journalists.

For the first time, an alleged terrorist has broadcast a confession in real time on Facebook Live
Caitlin Dewey & Sarah Parnass I 
The Washington Post 
I June 14, 2016

Larossi Abballa, a 25-year-old suspected terrorist accused of killing a French police captain and his partner in their home Monday night, appears to have broadcast the aftermath of the attacks, in real time, on Facebook Live. 

Why Telegram's security flaws may put Iran's journalists at risk
Sam Berkhead I IJNET I June 14, 2016

For Iranian citizens and journalists alike, Telegram is a popular way to share information as access to other social media outlets like Twitter and Facebook tends to be limited.  Despite its branding as a more private, more secure messaging app, Telegram lacks both the default end-to-end encryption and Signal encryption protocol that Whatsapp uses, the CPJ reported.

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The Lab's Roundup highlighting stories on technology, media, and data in peacebuilding.
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PeaceTech In Action

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Peace Park

Peace Park - a new computer game developed by Elva Community Engagement and StormBringer Studios, with consultations from Mark Rein-Hagen, hit the web and mobile market last year to teach young people conflict mediation and resolution skills. 

Through a setting of one communal space, shared by five different families, the game combines fun and strategy to allow gamers to achieve the ultimate goal of peaceful coexistence. While playing, a gamer is put in a position of a park owner, otherwise known as a mediator. This , challenged to make decisions in the sense that even the most conflicted individuals or families enjoy interaction. The rationale of Peace Park demonstrates that at the times of conflict, one should take different perspectives and provide environment where everyone’s interests are met and commonalities between people become bases for peaceful coexistence.

Development of Peace Park was made possible by the generous support of the Confidence Building Early Response Mechanism (COBERM) of the EU and UNDP. The game is accessible on all web and mobile platforms. In less than 6 months, it was played 10,000 times by children throughout the South Caucasus.

PeaceTech Commentary

PeaceTech Lab staff provide analysis on an important trend in the news.
Anastasia-Areti Gavrili | Making All Voices Count | June 21, 2016

Most civic tech initiatives collect and visualize data for governments or other stakeholders to see, understand and use. But what’s the context around the points on a map or the numbers we see on an infographic poster? And most importantly what happens next? How do we see change through? Is taking a step ‘backwards’, to the stories of individual people, the next step in tech for development?

Citizen journalists around the world are increasingly relying on digital platforms like Storymaker, Storify, and hardware like GoPro and digital microphones to report on complex problems in their communities. These affordable, easy-to-use tools allow citizen journalists to broaden their impact through improved information gathering, editing, and sharing capabilities.

This is My Backyard (TIMBY) is a new suite of digital tools that enable citizen monitors to perform on-the-ground reporting on issues ranging from deforestation and corruption in Liberia to election violence in Kenya and South Africa. The software was developed in close collaboration with user groups across the African continent, including journalists, activists and NGOs.

At PeaceTech Lab, we believe in the power of citizen journalism and actively incorporate these tools into our PeaceTech Exchange (PTX) program. PTX is designed to connect networks of talented young technologists with civil society and government leaders in conflict zones, paving the way for innovative solutions to global challenges through technology. 
 
Commentary by Tim Receveur | Director, PeaceTech Exchanges | PeaceTech Lab

PeaceTech News Roundup

This week's compilation of the most important news stories highlighting the role of technology, media, and data in conflict zones. 
Fighting ISIS With an Algorithm, Physicists Try to Predict Attacks
Pam Belluck | The New York Times | June 16, 2016

After Orlando and San Bernardino and Paris, there is new urgency to understand the signs that can precede acts of terrorism. A physicist may not seem like an obvious person to study such activity. But for months, Neil Johnson, a physicist at the University of Miami, led a team that created a mathematical model to sift order from the chaotic pro-terrorism online universe.

Journalists, endangered species in war zones
Paul Omo ObadanNational Mirror Online I June 19, 2016

Amidst mounting prospect of global conflict posed by the threat of terrorism as depicted by Boko Haram, Al-Qaeda, ISIS and the likes, the rate at which members of the Fourth Estate of the Realm, otherwise described as the watchdogs of the society have increasingly had their ranks depleted by death through occupational hazards, particularly in crisis zones gives cause for concern. 

BT’s satellite technology is helping African communities get online
BT I June 20, 2016

People in Africa pay ten times as much of their salary for broadband as people in the rest of the world and BT’s free satellite connections with SOS Children’s Villages have already reached nearly 145,000 people, providing access to better healthcare, education and other services.

How technology can help educate child refugees
Attila Mong | DW Akademie | June 20, 2016

Around 30 million children worldwide are denied education because of conflict. Many have fled war and have no, or limited, access to education. Others live in areas where it's too dangerous to attend school or where conflict has ravaged infrastructure. Digital technologies are seen as one way of helping meet the challenge of getting education to children displaced by conflict.

The Journalist Keeping Tabs on Airstrikes Against ISIS
Bruno Bayley | Vice | June 21, 2016

Former BBC Panorama producer and investigative journalist, Chris Woods set up Airwars.org, a collective of journalists and researchers across the Middle East and Europe dedicated to tracking airstrikes against the Islamic State, attempting to keep tabs on civilian casualties, and pressing for transparency and accountability in the war on terror.

Bogus Mediterranean Migrant Rescue App Removed From App Store 
Coby McDonald | Popular Science | June 21, 2016

The app promises to show recent or active satellite data and present the user with a way to report the location of suspicious objects ... But it can't do that since it's not showing any actual images," [Rosyna Keller, an iOS app developer and reverse engineering expert] said. "It retrieves this static image and you can confirm that by comparing it, errors and all, to the one shown in the app.

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The Lab's Roundup highlighting stories on technology, media, and data in peacebuilding.
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PeaceTech In Action

Stories of peacebuilders using technology, media, and data in the field. 


Peace Park

Peace Park - a new computer game developed by Elva Community Engagement and StormBringer Studios, with consultations from Mark Rein-Hagen, hit the web and mobile market last year to teach young people conflict mediation and resolution skills. 

Set in a communal space shared by five different families, the game combines fun and strategy to allow gamers to achieve the ultimate goal of peaceful coexistence. While playing, a gamer is put in a position of a park owner, otherwise known as a mediator, and is challenged to make decisions. in the sense that even the most conflicted individuals or families enjoy interaction. The rationale of Peace Park demonstrates that at the times of conflict, one should take different perspectives and provide environment where everyone’s interests are met and commonalities between people become bases for peaceful coexistence.

Development of Peace Park was made possible by the generous support of the Confidence Building Early Response Mechanism (COBERM) of the EU and UNDP. The game is accessible on all web and mobile platforms. In less than 6 months, it was played 10,000 times by children throughout the South Caucasus.

PeaceTech Commentary

PeaceTech Lab staff provide analysis on an important trend in the news.
Anastasia-Areti Gavrili | Making All Voices Count | June 21, 2016

Most civic tech initiatives collect and visualize data for governments or other stakeholders to see, understand and use. But what’s the context around the points on a map or the numbers we see on an infographic poster? And most importantly what happens next? How do we see change through? Is taking a step ‘backwards’, to the stories of individual people, the next step in tech for development?

Citizen journalists around the world are increasingly relying on digital platforms like Storymaker, Storify, and hardware like GoPro and digital microphones to report on complex problems in their communities. These affordable, easy-to-use tools allow citizen journalists to broaden their impact through improved information gathering, editing, and sharing capabilities.

This is My Backyard (TIMBY) is a new suite of digital tools that enable citizen monitors to perform on-the-ground reporting on issues ranging from deforestation and corruption in Liberia to election violence in Kenya and South Africa. The software was developed in close collaboration with user groups across the African continent, including journalists, activists and NGOs.

At PeaceTech Lab, we believe in the power of citizen journalism and actively incorporate these tools into our PeaceTech Exchange (PTX) program. PTX is designed to connect networks of talented young technologists with civil society and government leaders in conflict zones, paving the way for innovative solutions to global challenges through technology. 
 
Commentary by Tim Receveur | Director, PeaceTech Exchanges | PeaceTech Lab

PeaceTech News Roundup

This week's compilation of the most important news stories highlighting the role of technology, media, and data in conflict zones. 
Fighting ISIS With an Algorithm, Physicists Try to Predict Attacks
Pam Belluck | The New York Times | June 16, 2016

After Orlando and San Bernardino and Paris, there is new urgency to understand the signs that can precede acts of terrorism. A physicist may not seem like an obvious person to study such activity. But for months, Neil Johnson, a physicist at the University of Miami, led a team that created a mathematical model to sift order from the chaotic pro-terrorism online universe.

Journalists, endangered species in war zones
Paul Omo ObadanNational Mirror Online I June 19, 2016

Amidst mounting prospect of global conflict posed by the threat of terrorism as depicted by Boko Haram, Al-Qaeda, ISIS and the likes, the rate at which members of the Fourth Estate of the Realm, otherwise described as the watchdogs of the society have increasingly had their ranks depleted by death through occupational hazards, particularly in crisis zones gives cause for concern. 

How technology can help educate child refugees
Attila Mong | DW Akademie | June 20, 2016

Around 30 million children worldwide are denied education because of conflict. Many have fled war and have no, or limited, access to education. Others live in areas where it's too dangerous to attend school or where conflict has ravaged infrastructure. Digital technologies are seen as one way of helping meet the challenge of getting education to children displaced by conflict.

The Journalist Keeping Tabs on Airstrikes Against ISIS
Bruno Bayley | Vice | June 21, 2016

Former BBC Panorama producer and investigative journalist, Chris Woods set up Airwars.org, a collective of journalists and researchers across the Middle East and Europe dedicated to tracking airstrikes against the Islamic State, attempting to keep tabs on civilian casualties, and pressing for transparency and accountability in the war on terror.

Bogus Mediterranean Migrant Rescue App Removed From App Store 
Coby McDonald | Popular Science | June 21, 2016

The app promises to show recent or active satellite data and present the user with a way to report the location of suspicious objects ... But it can't do that since it's not showing any actual images," [Rosyna Keller, an iOS app developer and reverse engineering expert] said. "It retrieves this static image and you can confirm that by comparing it, errors and all, to the one shown in the app.

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PeaceTech In Action

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Bytes for All Pakistan

Bytes for All Pakistan (B4A) is a human rights organization and think-tank which experiments with and organizes debate on the relevance of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) for sustainable development and to strengthen the human rights movement in Pakistan. 
 
B4A conducts research for evidence-based policy advocacy and capacity building of human rights defenders on their digital security, online safety & privacy. B4A’s Take Back The Tech Campaign is a flagship initiative, which focuses on the strategic use of ICTs by women and girls to fight violence against women in Pakistan. The organization works as a network for young researchers in the region and provides opportunities for face-to-face and online meetings. For this purpose, B4A organizes capacity building workshops and engages the researchers with projects. B4A also organizes research based advocacy campaigns on issues related ICT and development. This advocacy work includes informed discussions on relevant topics, presentation of findings, mobilizing opinions, organizing forums, and lobbying for policy changes.

PeaceTech Commentary

PeaceTech Lab staff provide analysis on an important trend in the news.
Saferworld June 24, 2016
 
For long decades, Europe’s experts and institutions have offered peacebuilding assistance to other countries. What follows may be a period in which leaders of other countries need to help the UK and European nations to re-establish a collective vision for overcoming division and supporting international stability.
The author of this piece raises important arguments that should be a part of the conversation around this historic vote. We chose to highlight this article not to rehash those arguments, but because it does something we often forget to do – it makes us think about the West as an arena for conflict and peacebuilding.

Conflict is not just something that happens “over there.” It is a part of the human system. Peace is not the absence of conflict but the ability of communities to resolve conflicts non-violently. So while there are clearly places in the world where violent conflict is an immediate and present danger, every community needs to be constantly re-strengthened in the face of new challenges. In the aftermath of the Brexit vote we should recognize the strain communities around the world are under and remember that you cannot just make peace, you have to keep it.


Commentary by John Pope | Special Assistant to the President | PeaceTech Lab
 

PeaceTech News Roundup

This week's compilation of the most important news stories highlighting the role of technology, media, and data in conflict zones. 
Exclusive: Google, Facebook quietly move toward automatic blocking of extremist videos
Joseph Menn & Dustin Volz | 
Reuters 
I June 25 , 2016

Some of the web’s biggest destinations for watching videos have quietly started using automation to remove extremist content from their sites, according to two people familiar with the process. YouTube and Facebook are among the sites deploying systems to block or rapidly take down Islamic State videos and other similar material, the sources said. 

Meet the Syrian citizen journalists taking on Isis – ‘We believe that we can fight them with pens, with cameras’
Freddy Mayhew | PressGazette | 
June 23, 2016

Hassam says of the group’s beginnings: "We were all working against the Syrian regime. Then when ISIS came and controlled Raqqa, they began to make a new law in the city, like Sharia law, and we decided to do something for our city, our country." That something was starting an account on Facebook and Twitter called the Raqqa Blog which, in April 2014, turned into news website Raqqa is Being Slaughtered Silently.

Kenya clamps down on journalists covering war on al-Shabaab
Ismail Einashe | The Guardian | 
June 27, 2016

For many [Kenyan] journalists, social media has become a key instrument in their reporting arsenal, allowing them to bypass traditional outlets and connect directly with readers. But in an attempt to keep news of troop deaths quiet, the [Kenyan] government have been making arrests of reporters circulating information online.

Deaths, detainments mount as media environment worsens in South Sudan
Alice Su | Columbia Journalism Review | 
June 24, 2016

South Sudan, the newest country in the world at just five years old, quickly has become one of the most dangerous places for journalists. At least seven journalists were killed there in 2015 alone, with no culprits identified or punished. The dire situation in South Sudan is particularly disappointing since South Sudan’s new constitution promised state protection of press freedoms when the country gained its independence in 2011. 

Technology in the service of international conflict resolution
Arik Segal & Béatrice Hasler Lev-Tov | TransConflict I June 27, 2016

Applying technology and in particular virtual platforms and virtual reality (VR) as complementary tools in people-people projects, can help improve the effectiveness and impact of peacebuilding work.

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Training Women on Digital Rights

Digital Rights Foundation (DRF) is a Pakistan-based NGO which seeks to address internet surveillance and heightened censorship through advocacy focused on freedom of expression issues, the right to online privacy, and the creation of human rights- oriented legislation.  

DRF trains, informs, and involves civil society groups in the areas of digital rights, digital security, and building peace through countering online harassment. It has spearheaded campaigns for the amendment of cybercrime legislation, and promoted dialogue on privacy, surveillance, and blasphemy legislation. In addition, it publishes reports and research that support these efforts.

DRF specifically advocates for digital access and internet security for women through its "Hamara Internet" campaign, which means "Our Internet" in Urdu. This effort maps incidents of electronic violence against women and aims to change public perceptions about the role Pakistani women play in digital spaces.

PeaceTech Commentary

PeaceTech Lab staff provide analysis on an important trend in the news.

Lack of data hampers Africa’s fight against malnutrion
Gilbert Nakweya | SciDevNet | July 5, 2016

"Gladys Mugambi, head of nutrition at Kenya’s Ministry of Health, says unreported and low quality data makes it difficult to compare nutrition data across countries.
“We have little data, especially from refugee camps,” Mugambi adds."

The PeaceTech Lab Roundup is a place where we celebrate the “new and different” each week. While this is a positive goal, I’m reminded by the article above that no industry achieves scale on original ideas alone: to promote real impact we need room to replicate, recycle, and highlight the successes of “copycats.”

Data collection is an area where free, accessible tools already exist and are being used effectively, even in the most challenging environments. In 2015, our PeaceTech Exchange (PTX) in Iraq introduced local aid workers to KoBo Toolbox, a free survey platform which was later used to gather data on disease in IDP camps. These workers faced many of the same challenges seen in Sub-Saharan Africa: little-to-no internet access, lack of sanitation, no access to medication, low literacy rates, etc. Yet using KoBo Toolbox to detail 116 cases of disease, workers were able to capture the attention of local government and ultimately netted $12,000 in additional medical supplies. This is a small win compared to the scope of refugee and global health crises, but a win nonetheless that could have big impact if replicated.


Commentary by Twila Tschan | Communications Coordinator | PeaceTech Lab

PeaceTech News Roundup

This week's compilation of the most important news stories highlighting the role of technology, media, and data in conflict zones. 
A Future in Code: Building Life Skills in Syria
Liza Ramrayka | NewsDeeply |
July 4, 2016

Motivated by a desire to rebuild Syria’s devastated economy, enterprising young women in the war-torn country are turning to tech to help others of their generation find employment – and better futures.

UN condemns internet access disruption as a human rights violation
James Vincent The Verge | 
July 4, 2016

The United Nations Human Rights Council has passed a non-binding resolution condemning countries that intentionally disrupt citizens' internet access. The resolution reaffirms the organization's stance that "the same rights people have offline must also be protected online."

Government warns Zimbabweans on use of social media
Nigel Gambanga | Techzim | 
July 6, 2016

Over the past few months there has been an increasing use of social media platforms to communicate politically motivated messages in Zimbabwe. The government has warned citizens who use social media to promote civil unrest, despondency, and violence will be arrested.
 

This Nonprofit Could Help Fight Terrorism, But Critics are Torn
Ernie Smith | Associations Now |
July 1, 2016

The Counter Extremism Project is hoping to combat terrorism with technology that’s already being used to block graphic content from social networks. But the strategy has some critics questioning whether the benefits are worth the cost to free speech.

Protecting High-Risk Tech Users: A Movement for Usability
Jeanne Bourgault Internews | 
July 6, 2016

“Governments and large global bodies like the United Nations subsidize new medications to fight disease. Why not also subsidize the adaptation of technology so that it can meet the needs of local communities?”

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The Lab's Roundup highlighting stories on technology, media, and data in peacebuilding.
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PeaceTech In Action

Stories of peacebuilders using technology, media, and data in the field. 


Internews

Internews is an international nonprofit organization working at the intersection of information, media, and development to ensure all people are empowered with the information they need to have a voice in their future and make informed decisions about their lives. The organization has worked in over 90 countries with journalist associations, professional training institutes, universities, media rights groups, and nonprofit partners who produce reports and news programming in more than 80 languages. Internews offers programs, research and evaluation, and training to media professionals and citizen journalists in order to increase local reporting and promote open access to information.
 
Internews ran the Media Map Project in collaboration with the World Bank Institute, with funding from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. This project combined 30 years’ worth of research and open-source data into 25 datasets with the goal to better understand the relationship between media development and outcomes in democracy and governance, economic growth, poverty reduction, human rights, gender equality and health. Visitors to the Media Map Project website can download the datasets for independent research and explore the interactive online map.

PeaceTech Commentary

PeaceTech Lab staff provide analysis on an important trend in the news.

Solving the data conundrum: How to leverage tech and 'big data' for impact

Malia Politzer | Devex | July 11, 2016

Over the next four weeks, Devex's #DataDriven campaign will examine major questions including where the data revolution is headed, how data can improve service delivery for government and businesses alike, how data can help close the gap on gender parity, and more. Find articles and interactive features here.

​It’s great to see so many good articles being written about the potential and perils of leveraging big data for social change, with concrete examples that show, beyond question, how exciting the data revolution is. Still, it’s striking to see how many of these examples emanate from development, health care, or other fields, and how few, by comparison, are cases of conflict prevention or peacebuilding. Is it because these are different types of problems that don’t lend themselves to the same kinds of analytics as, say, predicting outbreaks of disease or famine? Or is it something else – such as a lack of funding or training in the use of data for local peacebuilding organizations on the frontlines of conflict? We are still in the early days of the data revolution, and nowhere is that truer than in our ability to distill and utilize valuable insights about conflict prevention from the blizzard of data now coming out of conflict countries. The PeaceTech Lab has begun to tackle the problem with our data hub, the Open Situation Room Exchange (OSRx). But like others in the field, we’ve got a long way to go -- and every reason to hurry.

 
Commentary by Sheldon Himelfarb | President & CEO | PeaceTech Lab

PeaceTech News Roundup

This week's compilation of the most important news stories highlighting the role of technology, media, and data in conflict zones. 
Simple Tools Offer Path Out of Conflict
Edd Gent I SciDev Net I July 13, 2016

“Local technologists know the country and what works. They will be the ones still around when we leave, so they need to be in the lead,” says PeaceTech Lab's Tim Receveur, adding that local people have suggested innovations an outsider would never think of.

Exodus: Our Journey to Europe review – all you want is for these people to survive
Chitra Ramaswamy I The Guardian I July 12, 2016

A devastating, breathtaking documentary about the biggest movement of refugees in Europe since the second world war, by those who are actually living it.

Tech Helps But Only People Can Make Peace
Anahi Ayala Iacucci I SciDev Net I
July 13, 2016

The truth is that peace is made by people, and that technology does not create anything that is not already there.

We're Racist Because We Don't Understand Each Other. A Techie Has a Solution
Ellen McGirt I Fortune I July 11, 2016

In a world where people seem to be screaming at each other over an increasingly big divide, an ambitious start-up is seeking to bridge the gap with empathy.

The Chinese Government's Grip on Online Media Just Got a Lot Tighter
Jamie Fullerton I Vice Motherboard I
July 11, 2016

[Reporters Without Borders] notes that the Communist Party of China exerts “total control” over media outlets and that independent journalists are routinely harassed and jailed in the country.

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The Lab's Roundup highlighting stories on technology, media, and data in peacebuilding.
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PeaceTech In Action

Stories of peacebuilders using technology, media, and data in the field. 


BBC Media Action

New research conducted by BBC Media Action seeks to raise humanitarian agencies' awareness of the communication difficulties facing refugees in transit. The ‘Voices of Refugees’ report highlights refugees’ overarching need for timely and accurate information about what will happen next, as well as how to keep themselves safe in their current situation. Refugees also expressed a need to be listened to and participate in dialogue in their own language, in addition to psychosocial support. 

The report is accompanied by a film inspired by stories from the research. Designed to be watched vertically on a mobile phone, the film helps viewers experience the confusion and fear facing refugees making a perilous journey by boat. The film has so far reached over 250k views on Facebook and Youtube since its launch on Monday. 

BBC Media Action is the BBC’s international development charity. Financially independent of the BBC but applying the BBC values of fairness and impartiality, it uses media and communication to reduce poverty and support people to understand their rights through a focus on health, governance, resilience and humanitarian response.

For more information about the report and video please contact: Alexandra Buccianti
alexandra.buccianti@bbc.co.uk and Nick Henegan Nick.Henegan@bbc.co.uk

PeaceTech Commentary

PeaceTech Lab staff provide analysis on an important trend in the news.
Tweeting Turkey, or how social media may have fundamentally changed the future of coups
Joshua TuckerThe Washington Post | July 19, 2016

So the question is, has the existence of social media fundamentally altered the ability of coup plotters to “keep things quiet” during the initial stages of a coup — to make enough progress so that the medium- and high-threshold participants will join in?

No one watching the events unfold in Turkey on social media will soon forget the image of Erdogan being broadcast on CNN ​TURK live via FaceTime calling for Turkish citizens to come out and protest against the coup. As ​Joshua ​Tucker points out, social media has fundamentally changed the likelihood of success for coups.​ In Turkey​,​ 290 people were killed and over 1,400 wounded in clashes with the soldiers who led the coup attempt. Many came out into the streets and risked their lives not because they supported the regime but rather to protect their country from military rule and a return to the past.

As Anahi Ayala Iacucci noted recently, information and communication technologies can support peaceful change, but it is people that ultimately bring about change required for peace. In our work at PeaceTech Lab, we ​analyze social media​ ​to understand how social movements unfold, and how these insights can contribute to peacebuilding efforts. These trends are important, but equally important is for us to understand the motivations of movements and work closely with those most invested in bringing about peaceful change.
 
Commentary by Giselle Lopez | Specialist | PeaceTech Lab

PeaceTech News Roundup

This week's compilation of the most important news stories highlighting the role of technology, media, and data in conflict zones. 
WhatsApp officially un-banned in Brazil after third block in eight months
The Guardian | July 19, 2016

Supreme court overturns judge’s order to mobile phone companies to block access after owner Facebook stood by refusal to intercept texts for police inquiry.

Social media and the changing face of conflict reporting
Abigail Edge | Journalism | July 14, 2016

Not only has social media overtaken the shoe-leather reporting approach for many journalists, it has also had an irrevocable impact on the way reporters present themselves and their work.

Online connectivity for peace? It’s a matter of scale
Shamil Idriss | SciDev Net | 
July 13, 2016

If technology is enabling an ever-increasing capacity for people to communicate directly with one another, how can this be anything but positive for peacebuilding which, at its core, is about facilitating human relationships?

Data as a driver for change: How results can reshape work, but also deceive
Amy Lieberman | Devex | July 18, 2016

Lack of data can limit a government’s effectiveness in responding to ongoing social issues or individual crises, such as the Ebola outbreak in West Africa in 2014. Data also routinely fails to accurately represent populations, rendering indigenous people and inhabitants of slums nearly invisible and excluded from data sets.

US to open anti-ISIS data centre in Malaysia
Strait Times | July 15, 2016

A year after the State Department opened a data centre in the Middle East aimed at countering online messaging by terrorist group Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS), the US plans to inaugurate a similar outpost in Malaysia in the coming months.

New app lets public help map disasters, conflicts and outbreaks
Lin Taylor | Thomson Reuters Foundation | July 14, 2016

Swiping right or tapping on a mobile phone are not typical ways of helping poor communities, but a new app launched by a medical charity on Friday aims to use technology to help aid workers map areas at risk of conflict, disasters and disease.

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The Lab's Roundup highlighting stories on technology, media, and data in peacebuilding.
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PeaceTech In Action

Stories of peacebuilders using technology, media, and data in the field. 


Tuwindi

Tuwindi is an apolitical organization whose main mission is to promote the use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) to support increased social and economic development in Mali. Tuwindi works at the intersection of governance, citizenship, democracy and human rights. The organization works to integrate social and economic development with democracy by facilitating actions of the government, the civil society, media groups, and Malian political parties.

Tuwindi has implemented several projects to provide a space for media and civil society organizations ​to discuss governance. Democracy Tech Squad is a pan-African network of democracy and human rights activists who work with ICTs. This network is present in Mali, as well as 15 countries in West Africa. The purpose of this network is to serve as a collaboration between individuals who are committed to the emergence of democracy, human rights, citizenship in their cities and countries.

Xensa, another Tuwindi project, is a web portal that monitors the implementation of government programs and the actions of the National Assembly. This portal gives public access to this information, in addition to the performance of these programs. Xensa also informs the public of the elected commissions, laws, and enables people to interact with government and parliament.

PeaceTech Commentary

PeaceTech Lab staff provide analysis on an important trend in the news.
Open data for Sustainable Development
Geospatial World I August 14, 2016

Within GEO we have a saying: ‘countries have borders, earth observations don’t’. That is important, because the Earth does not behave country by country… processes that occur at one part of the Earth or one part of the globe affect other parts. So, clearly we are advocating that sharing data within your own government is a good first step, but we need to go much broader if we are going to address the SDGs.

The Lab’s focus is peacebuilding and conflict resolution, so we are especially interested in how SDG 16 “Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions” can benefit from the use of geospatial data. Past studies have suggested that conflict can be exacerbated by natural phenomena such as climate change, but consensus has not been achieved. Making geospatial data more accessible and conducting further analysis alongside demographic and violence statistics can help to uncover the nuance of the relationship between climate and conflict. 

Just this week, NASA announced its new Public Web Portal for Research Results. NASA’s research access initiative outlines a framework to increase public access to digital data and results. This is an important step, and hopefully raw geospatial data from other sources will follow. As geospatial and other climatological data become more freely available, social scientists and peacebuilders can more readily combine it with the data sets and case studies that already inform their work.  
 
Commentary by Kelly Victor-French | Specialist | PeaceTech Lab

PeaceTech News Roundup

This week's compilation of the most important news stories highlighting the role of technology, media, and data in conflict zones. 
Disaster Tech Lab brings emergency internet to refugee camps
Alex Scroxton I Computer Weekly I August 15, 2016

Ireland-based charity Disaster Tech Lab has deployed rugged network units to provide 3G, 4G and 4G Long Term Evolution (LTE) connectivity services at 18 refugee camps in Greece, to support both the work of the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) and the refugees themselves.

In Ukraine, Attacks On Journalists Chill Media Landscape
Christopher Miller I Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty I August 18, 2016

The simple, solemn memorial to [Pavel] Sheremet is also a symbol of a wave of attacks on journalists -- online and in the streets -- that has raised stark questions about power, patriotism, and the freedom of speech in Ukraine, and clouded the country's chances for normalcy.

Leveraging Technology for Social Change in Sri Lanka
Sam de Silva I Internews I August 11, 2016

These two trajectories — a vibrant, emerging tech sector and a deep thirst for social progress, democracy and transparency — offer a powerful opportunity to establish Sri Lanka as a thought leader in South Asia for building an engaged and inclusive information environment.

Many Refugees, Poor Data: Development Cooperation Requires Higher-quality Data
Steffen Angenendt, David Kipp, & Anne Koch I Center for Security Studies I August 15, 2016

There are growing calls for improved data on forced displacement at the international level, most recently at the World Humanitarian Summit in May 2016. The gaps in refugee statistics are even more pronounced in the developing countries.

How Good Data Can Help Build World Peace
Steve Killelea I Crisis Group I August 11, 2016

Thanks to data and research, we can develop better informed analyses and insights on peace — enabling more intelligent, focused action to reverse the terrible recent trend toward more deadly conflict.

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The Lab's Roundup highlighting stories on technology, media, and data in peacebuilding.
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PeaceTech In Action

Stories of peacebuilders using technology, media, and data in the field. 


The Peacebuilding Engineers Program


The Peacebuilding Engineers Program at the Lab aims to create a new generation of engineering professionals – technically skilled and globally effective. The program began as a joint partnership between the PeaceTech Lab and Drexel University through a series of classes in the 2015-2016 academic year.

These online courses teach conflict analysis, negotiation, mediation skills and global awareness to complement the engineer’s traditional technical training. They use existing curricula from the US Institute of Peace and other peacebuilding experts, then customized with an eye toward the issues and challenges that engineers face, in partnership with university partners. The program's goal is to create a global network of young engineers who have the know-how to support the peacebuilding community and help save lives around the world.
 
This fall the Lab will expand the program by giving young engineering and technology students the opportunity to use their technical skills in service to conflict-affected communities to have a lasting impact. These scholars will have the chance to participate directly in the work of peacebuilding by working with Lab staff in Washington, DC and the field. 
 
The Lab is currently seeking a dynamic, qualified individual to serve as the Executive Director of this exciting new program. More information on the application process can be found by visiting our website.

PeaceTech Commentary

PeaceTech Lab staff provide analysis on an important trend in the news.
Building Empathy For Syrians Through Virtual Reality.
And Pokémon.

Rishika Pardikar I Sojourners I August 18, 2016

These are just a few examples wherein technology pushed people into executing foreign policies based on simple humanity; it drew them in active engagement rather than just passive scrolls through websites.

This article is a great example of how we can use art to inspire empathy. The Pokemon Go inspired photos brilliantly juxtapose the familiar with the horrifically unfamiliar. Virtual reality invites the viewer to experience conflict nearly firsthand.

Of course there are other art projects out there that build empathy for conflict. Novelty is what helped these projects stand out and capture the imagination. Virtual reality, and the augmented reality in Pokemon Go, are both so new that people are just as curious about “the experience” as they are about the content.

This is important because a common critique leveled at technology for social good projects is that they favor novelty over long-term impact. The Lab constantly asks – is this good or just new? But novelty has value. It attracts attention, forces new perspectives, and starts conversations.

That might not be enough, but it shouldn’t be discounted.
 
Commentary by John Pope | Special Assistant to the President | PeaceTech Lab

PeaceTech News Roundup

This week's compilation of the most important news stories highlighting the role of technology, media, and data in conflict zones. 
Italian Red Cross urges people to disable Wi-Fi passwords after devastating earthquake
James Temperton I Wired I
August 24, 2016

The Italian Red Cross is urging people in vicinity of the devastating earthquake to remove the password on their Wi-Fi network to help with the rescue effort. But a security expert has warned that people risked falling foul of hackers if they followed the advice.

Angola passes laws to crack down on press and social media
D Quaresma Dos Santos I Guardian I
August 19, 2016

The Angolan Social Communications Regulatory Body will also have broad powers to “enforce compliance with professional journalistic ethics and standards” and “verify compliance by radio and television operators”. It will also decide which journalists are eligible for press accreditation.

Facebook has another plan to bring internet access to India -- and it's winning over critics
Vidhi Doshi I Mashable I
August 20, 2016

“We welcome Facebook's initiative to expand internet access in India by providing neutral access without discrimination on what sites a user may visit," Kiran Jonnalagadda told Mashable. "We are glad to see that Facebook has learnt from their earlier mistakes and responded positively,”

The WhatsApp-Response
Timo Luege I Social Media for Good I
August 22, 2016

A feature that some refugees and migrants appreciate about WhatsApp is the ability to send voice recordings to other WhatsApp contacts. While these do not replace real time conversations, hearing the voice of a loved one is an emotionally far richer experience than receiving an emoji.

When, Where, and How to Use Drones for Development
Technology Salon I August 20, 2016 

The application of drones to international development work is an exciting opportunity. But as is the case with any new methodology or technology, rigorous impact evaluations are essential; there aren’t enough large-scale use cases.

Poor data hurts African countries’ ability to make good policy decisions
Donatien Beguy I Quartz Africa I
August 20, 2016

In general, development programs entail measurable results. Development decisions should be informed by data. But more importantly this data must be turned into information that is easy to understand and useful to end users.

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The Lab's Roundup highlighting stories on technology, media, and data in peacebuilding.
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PeaceTech In Action

Stories of peacebuilders using technology, media, and data in the field. 


eyeWitness to Atrocities:
Bringing the Perpetrators of Atrocity Crimes to Justice

 

eyeWitness to Atrocities seeks to bring the perpetrators of atrocities to justice by providing a tool for human rights defenders, journalists, and other courageous citizens to capture verifiable footage related to international atrocity crimes. The eyeWitness app is an easy-to-use camera app that captures the metadata needed to ensure the images can be used in investigations or trials and safely stores the information. The eyeWitness expert team then becomes an ongoing advocate for the footage, analysing the information and working with the appropriate legal authorities to promote accountability for those who commit the worst international crimes.

The idea for the project arose when Mark Ellis, Executive Director of the International Bar Association (IBA), was asked to examine footage seemingly showing Sri Lankan troops executing Tamil Prisoners. The authenticity of the video could not be verified. ‘Watching that film was a catalyst for the idea that an app could be created to act as a tool of verification and allow the video to be admissible in a court of law,’ he says. So began a four-year effort to create such technology. The result is eyeWitness to Atrocities, a mobile app with the unique capability to authenticate and securely store footage of gross human rights abuses, while maintaining the anonymity of the user.

PeaceTech Commentary

PeaceTech Lab staff provide analysis on an important trend in the news.
Social media is emboldening young Zimbabweans to finally stand up to Mugabe
Ciara McCorley I Quartz Africa I August 29, 2016

Protests coordinated on social media have emerged in recent weeks throughout the country addressing issues from socio-economic governance, to the introduction of bond notes, corruption, and frustration by graduates at a lack of employment opportunities.

This article focuses on the use of social media as a means of advancing democracy and empowerment.

It is commonplace in many developing countries to witness riot police challenging street protests against government with teargas and water cannons, so common that citizens in these countries are changing tactics in their endeavor to make their voices heard. Social media is empowering citizens with alternative means for organizing, raising their voices, and holding government accountable in different countries. With hashtags like #ThisFlag, on Facebook in Zimbabwe, the famous #Libya or #Egypt that sparked the Arab Spring in 2011, a coin for Prita in Indonesia, and #Oromoprotests in Ethiopia, it is evident that mobilization and co-ordination in activism today is taking a different form. As mentioned in the article, the fluidity and dynamic nature of social media mobilization makes it difficult for the state to track. Perhaps, this is why more activists are turning to this direction. 

It is, however, prudent to analyze social media to get a better understanding of how social movements unfold. In its work, PeaceTech Lab is aware of the potential for social media platforms to mobilize and empower users. This analysis provides insights on how communities can build social movements for peacebuilding. 

Commentary by Caleb Gichuhi | Specialist, PeaceTech Lab Africa | PeaceTech Lab

PeaceTech News Roundup

This week's compilation of the most important news stories highlighting the role of technology, media, and data in conflict zones. 
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket just exploded at Cape Canaveral, destroying Facebook’s Internet.org satellite
Matt Burns I TechCrunch I 
September 1, 2016

According to numerous eyewitness reports, a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket just exploded during a test on a launch pad at Cape Canaveral. This rocket was set to launch on Saturday, Sept. 3 on a mission to deliver Facebook’s first satellite to orbit.

This man launched a website so people can invite refugees to stay in their homes
Perry Stein I The Washington Post I August 25, 2016

It’s about making vulnerable newcomers to the country feel at home. The concept of his site, called EmergencyBnB, resembles Airbnb, where people list their homes or a bedroom for travelers to rent by the night. But on EmergencyBnB, no money is exchanged and the people looking for places to stay are often in a crisis with nowhere to go.

Justin Trudeau turns to Weibo and WeChat to reach Chinese audience
Susan Lunn I CBC News I
August 29, 2016

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is well-known for his use of social media in Canada. He will be able to reach out to Chinese people during his visit through social media services Weibo and WeChat, which are highly popular in China though tightly controlled.

Girls learn app coding to navigate a way out of their Mumbai slum
Vidhi Doshi  I The Guardian I
August 30, 2016

No one thought schoolgirls from Mumbai’s Dharavi slum could code mobile apps. The girls didn’t even know what an app was until recently. But for the past few months, 67 girls have been taking coding lessons at the weekends with a local non-profit, the Slum Innovation Project.

Food Security and the Data Revolution: Mobile Monitoring on the Humanitarian Frontline
Jean-Martin Bauer, Brittany Card, and Alice Clough I Atha I August 26, 2016

Obtaining real-time and actionable information on the needs of affected populations has long been a priority for humanitarians; so keeping up with new technologies that could improve existing data collection systems is also a necessity.

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